The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, promised that he would 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.
However, his promise clashes with Tesla's planned schedule: DeSantis will leave office in January 2027, while the company does not expect to begin 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 the very least, it could be used to jump over golf carts in The Villages”, the governor wrote, 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 cannot run for a third consecutive election, as stipulated by the Constitution of Florida.
The measures that are not adopted during their term will depend on the next administration.
Furthermore, the governor cannot single-handedly guarantee the legality of all functions of the new Tesla car. Federal vehicle safety standards remain mandatory, regardless of state decisions.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the Tesla vehicle does not meet its definition of an aircraft, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reminded that the manufacturer must adhere to federal regulations applicable to automobiles.
Musk himself acknowledged that the Roadster might 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, maneuvered inverted thanks to a suction fan system, and performed 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 unveiled three configurations: Performance, designed for the road; Thrust, featuring additional thrusters; and Rocket, the most extreme option, 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.
The production is expected in 2028, after numerous delays since the project's original presentation in 2017.
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