Shortly after the reveal of Tesla’s new Roadster sports car last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to “make sure” that it will be legal in the Sunshine State.
The vehicle, which can thrust itself in the air, was showcased alongside several other engineering bells and whistles at an event on Oct. 15, going viral thanks to its cold gas thrusters and “multi-mode” suction system that can fling the car in the air for short spurts and spin it mid-flight.
“Turns out the future does have flying cars,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on his social media platform X shortly thereafter.
Turns out the future does have flying cars https://t.co/6fexPp6SXI
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 16, 2026
While experts have speculated about the potential for a vehicle like the Roadster to become street legal, DeSantis asserted that — in the Sunshine State at least — it certainly will be.
“We will make sure that it’s legal,” he wrote. “At a minimum could be used to leapfrog golf carts in the Villages.”
We will make sure that it’s legal — at a minimum could be used to leapfrog golf carts in the Villages.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) October 16, 2026
It’s unclear whether this was a serious claim or a tongue-in cheek joke, but either way, Florida drivers won’t have access to the Roadster for a while yet.
Musk explained that production for consumers isn’t slated to begin until 2028, and Tesla hasn’t yet set a price tag on its latest EV.
Thursday’s event was hosted at the Texas rocket testing and development center for SpaceX — Musk’s publicly-traded rocket company — and Tesla’s executives noted that they “borrowed” some SpaceX technology to get the new Roadster in the air. Beyond quick jumps and flips, Tesla also said the car can accelerate from zero to 60 miles (96.6 km) an hour in less than a second.
This week’s launch arrived after years of delays and anticipation around the new Roadster — and Tesla shares climbed in morning trading on Friday before falling amid a sell-off in companies tied to artificial intelligence.
Regardless, Tesla was taking reservations for Roadster “rocket” car purchases on its website Friday morning, though the fine print said there was no guarantee when the vehicle would be delivered — or whether it would be delivered at all.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.