The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, promised that he will allow the circulation of the new Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car by Elon Musk, equipped with thrusters capable of briefly lifting it off the ground.
His promise, however, clashes with the timeline set by Tesla: DeSantis will leave office in January 2027, while the company does not expect to start production of the vehicle until 2028.
DeSantis promises to allow flying Teslas in Florida
On October 16, DeSantis responded on X to a user who asked if the new Roadster would be legal in Florida.
“We will ensure that it is legal. At a minimum, it could be used to jump over golf carts in The Villages”, wrote the governor, referring to the well-known retirement community in the central part of the state, where those vehicles are common.
Elon Musk himself reacted to the governor's message with a fire emoji.
After the presentation of the sports car, the businessman also celebrated its capabilities with another post: “It turns out that the future does have flying cars.”
The Limits of the Promise: DeSantis Will Leave Office in 2027
DeSantis will conclude his second term on January 5, 2027, and he cannot run for a third consecutive election, as stated in the Constitution of Florida.
The measures that are not adopted during their term will depend on the next administration.
Moreover, the governor cannot unilaterally ensure the legality of all the functions of the new Tesla car. Federal vehicle safety standards remain mandatory, regardless of state decisions.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declared that the Tesla vehicle does not meet its definition of an aircraft, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reminded the manufacturer that it must comply with federal regulations applicable to automobiles.
Musk himself acknowledged that the Roadster may not be legal in all jurisdictions.
This is the new Tesla Roadster that can lift off the ground
The Roadster was unveiled on October 15 at SpaceX's rocket testing facilities in McGregor, Texas, during a demonstration where it performed unusual maneuvers for a car.
The sports vehicle ascended a multi-story ramp, traveled inverted thanks to a suction fan system, and executed a rotation in the air using cold gas thrusters developed with SpaceX technology. The maneuvers were carried out without a driver on board.
The system uses high-pressure compressed air to generate impulses capable of briefly lifting the vehicle.
Tesla presented three configurations: Performance, tailored for the road; Thrust, featuring additional thrusters; and Rocket, the most extreme variant, available only by invitation and not approved for public roads.
The announced reservations amount to $50,000 for Performance and $250,000 for Thrust, although the company has not yet communicated the final prices.
Production is scheduled for 2028, after numerous delays since the project's original presentation in 2017.
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