Elon Musk: Tesla Roadster to be capable of vertical liftoff

The Roadster will use SpaceX cold gas thrusters, storing high-pressure air in a pressure vessel behind the front seats.

The next-generation Tesla Roadster will be capable of lifting off the ground, according to Elon Musk.

Responding to a Twitter animation of a Back to the Future DeLorean time machine hovering in the air, Musk mentioned: "the new Roadster will actually do something like this."

The executive then promised he is not joking and clarified that the optional system will use SpaceX cold gas thrusters with ultra-high-pressure air stored in composite pressure vessels behind the front seats.

"Plus, you can basically accelerate at the limit of human endurance," he added.

Tesla has boldly claimed the upcoming Roadster will set new performance benchmarks for both electric and internal-combustion supercars. The thrusters will presumably help the car overcome the limits of tire friction under acceleration, with an estimated quarter-mile time of fewer than eight seconds.

The new Roadster will actually do something like this https://t.co/fIsTAYa4x8

-- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2019