Engineers have been working on getting their cars to fly since as far back as 1917 with the Curtiss Autoplane. Every year, there appears to be another car that transforms itself into a flying machine using various technologies and methods.

Recently, and after their first full-scale prototype flew in 2018, Alef Aeronautics flew their first public, verifiable maiden flight of its drivable test model in February of 2025 in Santa Clara/Santa Mateo, CA. The combined standard electric car and VTOL system used what they called distributed electric propulsion (DEP) with eight rotating blades hidden under a porous, mesh-like body that allowed air to pass through it and lift the vehicle straight up like a drone. 

Tesla’s Rocket Power

The Tesla Roadster chose to use rocket-like thrusters, called cold gas thrusters (CGT). Cold gas relates to the primarily nitrogen exhaust that is put under high-pressure in a composite-overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) that connects to two pipes that feed four metal nozzles that sit above the rear bumper. 

The nitrogen mixture is pressurized up to 10,000 psi. High pressure tanks like the one used in the roadster COPV have been around for a while and used as part of modern rocketry since it started. To bring the technology in-house, SpaceX recently purchased Hexagon Masterworks, which is a manufacturer of COPVs. They use a number of materials to wrap around a lightweight composite material to provide strength. 

Two actuator motors control the valves that regulate the pressure of the gas as it exits the COPV at supersonic speeds. The gas is forced through two long pipes before splitting into four CGT nozzles. The tubes exiting the COPV are machined with very close tolerances. Any minor difference in length would create an imbalance that could induce a force that produces a yaw effect on the vehicle. 

For their recent demonstration, the Roadster needed to hover, spin, and fly. This took additional equipment, including a COPV that tripled the total amount of gas available for thrust. In addition, six more CGT nozzles were used to provide the flips and rolls. Four of the CGTs were located behind the wheels and pointing down for vertical thrust. Two CGTs were positioned at the front of the car and pointing left and right to provide yaw thrust. 

The Tesla Roadster isn’t road-ready just yet. Plans are for it to be available sometime in 2028, which sounds close but is not yet a guarantee. Nonetheless, engineers have been playing with the idea of flying cars — and a few have been produced — for a long time. This rocket powered car has added to the vehicles available in a pretty dramatic way. 

For information: 

Alef Aeronautics

Tesla

Tesla Roadster