Tesla CEO Elon Musk has unveiled a new Roadster sports car featuring thrusters that could allow it to lift off the ground, presenting the vehicle during a livestreamed event at SpaceX’s facility in Texas on Thursday.

During the demonstration, broadcast on Tesla’s X account, the car accelerated up a steep ramp and landed back on its wheels. Musk described the development as a step towards making flying cars a reality.

“Flying cars are real,” Musk said, while acknowledging that the project still carries uncertainty. He expressed confidence that the technology would probably work.

Musk explained that the vehicle uses ultra-high-pressure air tanks to generate the thrust needed to propel it into the air. He also highlighted the collaboration between Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, and SpaceX, the aerospace company, as a key factor behind the project.

The billionaire entrepreneur said Tesla plans to put the vehicle into production in 2028, although technical and regulatory hurdles could pose significant challenges.

Despite decades of interest in flying cars, the concept has struggled to achieve widespread commercial success. Safety requirements, aviation regulations and engineering limitations continue to complicate efforts to bring such vehicles to market.

American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss introduced an early flying car prototype in 1917. However, advances in electric motors, battery technology and lightweight engineering have renewed interest in the concept in recent years.

Musk’s latest demonstration adds to growing efforts to combine road transportation with aviation technology, though the vehicle’s practical capabilities and commercial prospects remain to be established.