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Federal regulators unclear on oversight of Tesla's flying car

cbsnews.com — October 16, 2026 at 07:01 PM UTC

Federal regulators have not clearly determined which agency would oversee Tesla's newly unveiled "flying car," the Roadster Rocket, according to Department of Transportation officials. The vehicle, announced by Elon Musk, is not approved for public road use. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration typically regulates vehicles, but the FAA says the Tesla does not meet its aircraft definition, leaving oversight ambiguous. The car is slated for production in 2028, with a non-flying version reservable for a $5,000 deposit. The flying model will be offered by invitation only, and a senior DOT official expressed skepticism about its takeoff capability. Tesla has not responded to requests about which agencies it is working with.

With a significance score of 2.7, this news ranks in the top 13% of today's 29613 analyzed articles.

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[5.0]

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[4.8]

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[4.8]

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[4.3]

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[4.1]

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[4.0]

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[4.0]

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[3.9]

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[3.9]

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[3.8]

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[3.8]

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[3.7]

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1d 18h

[3.7]

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[3.7]

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[3.6]

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[3.6]

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[3.6]

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[3.6]

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[3.6]

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[3.6]

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[3.5]

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[3.5]

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[3.5]

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[3.4]

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[3.4]

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[3.4]

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[3.4]

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[3.4]

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[3.4]

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[3.3]

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[3.3]

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[3.3]

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[3.3]

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[3.2]

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[3.2]

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[3.2]

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[3.2]

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[3.2]

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[3.2]

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[3.2]

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[3.2]

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[3.1]

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[3.1]

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[3.1]

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[3.0]

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[3.0]

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[2.9]

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[2.9]

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[2.9]

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[2.8]

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[2.8]

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[2.7]

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[2.7]

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[2.7]

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[2.6]

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[2.6]

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[2.5]

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[2.5]

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[2.4]

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[2.4]

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[2.4]

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[2.4]

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[2.4]

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[2.3]

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[2.3]

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[2.2]

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[2.2]

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[2.1]

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[2.1]

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[2.0]

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[1.9]

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[1.8]

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[1.8]

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[1.8]

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[1.5]

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[1.4]

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