Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has unveiled a new Roadster sports car fitted with thrusters, describing the technology as a step towards making flying cars a reality, with production planned for 2028.

Musk presented the vehicle on Thursday during a livestreamed demonstration at a SpaceX test facility in Texas, where the car accelerated off a steep ramp before landing on its wheels.

The demonstration was broadcast on Tesla’s X account, with Musk declaring that flying cars were now a reality.

He cautioned, however, that the project’s success was not guaranteed, although he expressed confidence that the technology could work.

According to Musk, the vehicle uses ultra-high-pressure air tanks to generate the thrust needed to lift it into the air.

He described the project as a collaboration between Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, and SpaceX, his rocket company, combining expertise from both organisations.

Musk said the vehicle was expected to enter production in 2028, although technical and regulatory hurdles have continued to pose challenges for the development of commercially viable flying cars.

Efforts to develop vehicles capable of both road travel and flight date back more than a century. American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss introduced an early flying car prototype in 1917.

However, advances in electric propulsion systems and high-performance batteries have renewed interest in the technology in recent years, with developers exploring designs that could combine conventional transportation with flight.