Tesla demonstrates brief lift of Roadster 2 prototype amid regulatory questions

Tesla unveiled a prototype of its upcoming Roadster 2 sports car at SpaceX's rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas, where the vehicle performed a short lift of several dozen feet. The demonstration was conducted without a driver, a precaution explained by Tesla CEO Elon Musk to avoid safety risks.

"I’m not sure it’s necessarily legal in all jurisdictions," Musk said, adding that the car is "not necessarily a safety-optimized car."

Aviation specialists said the lift raises a host of regulatory hurdles. Scott Miller, an airline pilot and lecturer at San José State University, noted that the Federal Aviation Administration has jurisdiction over any machine that leaves the Earth's surface and that the Roadster would "introduce a whole set of regulatory issues."

Former FAA official Michael McCormick said any vehicle weighing over about 250 pounds would need FAA approval and that certification could take "at least a year," with operators likely required to hold a recreational aviation license rather than a standard driver’s license.

Miller also pointed out that most states require aircraft to launch from airports or designated helipads, making road-based take-offs subject to local rules. He said the concept of sudden aircraft intrusions on streets is generally unwelcome and that practical operation might be limited to large private properties.

The FAA is currently developing rules for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTL) vehicles, a category that includes several companies testing small passenger-carrying aircraft under a three-year pilot program launched by the administration this year.

Despite the challenges, Miller expressed admiration for the demonstration. > "If this does make it into production, that is a truly impressive engineering and production feat," he said.