"Is This Not AI?"…Tesla Stuns the World

[Anchor]

US electric vehicle maker Tesla has unveiled a new sports car. By incorporating technology from aerospace company SpaceX, it even drove upside down on a ceiling and soared through the air. However, despite the flashy demonstration, there are many hurdles to overcome before actual release.

Reporter Choi Seung-hun has the details.

[Reporter]

A white, angular vehicle climbs a large curved ramp without falling off and even hangs upside down.

After climbing the ramp once more and leaping off upside down, the vehicle emits thick smoke, spins in the air, and lands.

This time, it leaps over a line of five cars at once.

[Elon Musk / Tesla CEO: To prove that this is not an AI-generated video, we need an audience. Even seeing it with your own eyes, it will be hard to believe.]

This is the new electric sports car "Roadster" unveiled by Tesla.

It uses compressed gas thrusters adapted from SpaceX rocket technology to lift the vehicle body or control its posture in the air.

When hanging upside down, fans at the bottom of the car spin to suck in air, strongly pressing the vehicle against the road surface.

[Lars Moravy / Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering: The suction system on the bottom of the vehicle generates force equivalent to up to twice the vehicle's weight, allowing it to run even upside down.]

Tesla stated that in its own acceleration tests, the vehicle reached 97 km/h from a standstill in 0.81 seconds.

While praise poured in for the remarkable technology, the possibility of actual commercialization remains unclear.

The Roadster was first launched as Tesla's initial mass-produced electric vehicle in 2008. The second-generation model, unveiled in 2017, failed to meet its promised 2020 release date and has not been mass-produced for nine years.

Tesla has announced mass production for 2028 this time and is accepting pre-orders, but the final selling price and delivery schedule have not been determined.

In particular, reservation opportunities for the flying-capable Roadster are restricted to invited guests only.

Considering safety, this demonstration was conducted via autonomous driving without a driver, and it remains uncertain whether flying features will be permitted in everyday life.

[Elon Musk / Tesla CEO: This car is not necessarily optimized for safety. But for fun, it's an 11 out of 10.]

Market analysts suggest that rather than being for general sale, it is a symbolic vehicle showcasing Tesla's technological prowess.

(Video Editing: Choi Jin-hwa, Design: Park Tae-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.