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US regulator: Musk's 'flying' Tesla is not an aircraft

20minutes.fr (French) — October 18, 2026 at 03:01 AM UTC

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ruled Friday that Tesla's new electric Roadster, unveiled by Elon Musk with thrusters enabling air travel, does not qualify as an aircraft under its definition. The FAA's brief response came after AFP inquired about flight certification needs for the vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned Tesla must ensure the car, which appears to "defy the laws of physics," complies with federal motor vehicle safety regulations and local road rules. Musk presented the Roadster Thursday near Waco, Texas, in a livestreamed event showing the car performing aerial stunts using SpaceX-inspired thrusters. Production is slated for 2028, though Musk's timelines have historically slipped, and the vehicle's debut was delayed by at least nine years.

With a significance score of 2.1, this news ranks in the top 20% of today's 29613 analyzed articles.

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[5.0]

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1d 21h

[4.8]

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[4.8]

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1d 8h

[4.7]

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[4.3]

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[4.3]

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[4.1]

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1d 22h

[4.0]

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1d 22h

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[4.0]

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[3.9]

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1d 19h

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[3.9]

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1d 11h

[3.8]

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1d 22h

[3.8]

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22h

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[3.7]

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1d 18h

[3.7]

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1d 16h

[3.7]

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1d 13h

[3.6]

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1d 13h

[3.6]

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1d 19h

[3.6]

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[3.6]

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1d 17h

[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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1d 14h

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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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1d 20h

[3.3]

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1d 23h

[3.3]

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1d 17h

[3.3]

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1d 19h

[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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21h

[3.2]

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1d 21h

[3.2]

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1d 14h

[3.2]

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1d 17h

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[3.2]

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1d 5h

[3.1]

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1d 3h

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[3.1]

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1d 23h

[3.1]

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[3.0]

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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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[2.8]

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[2.7]

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[2.7]

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[2.7]

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1d 16h

[2.6]

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[2.6]

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[2.5]

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[2.5]

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[2.5]

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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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1d 12h

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[2.4]

Tesla's flying Roadster fine print: 3 caveats to know before reserving (businessinsider.com)

1d 22h

[2.3]

US Regulators Push Back on Tesla's Flying Roadster Claims (spiegel.de)

1d 4h

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[2.3]

FAA says Tesla's flying Roadster is not an aircraft (boursorama.com)

1d 12h

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[2.2]

Tesla Roadster debuts with 0.81-second sprint to 97 km/h (korrespondent.net)

1d 3h

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[2.2]

Tesla's new Roadster differs sharply from the 2017 version (businessinsider.com)

1d 1h

[2.1]

Tesla Roadster Redesign Revives Musk's Flying Car Vision in Texas Demo (news18.com)

1d 7h

[2.1]

US regulator: Musk's 'flying' Tesla is not an aircraft (20minutes.fr)

8h

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[2.0]

Sam Altman praises Elon Musk's flying Tesla Roadster after refund dispute (hindustantimes.com)

1d 7h

[1.9]

Sam Altman praises Tesla flying Roadster despite past refund dispute with Musk (moneycontrol.com)

1d 6h

[1.8]

Tesla's Flying Roadster Raises Regulatory Questions as US Agencies Disagree (timesnownews.com)

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[1.8]

Tesla unveils flying Roadster with 2028 production date (ethnos.gr)

1d 23h

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[1.8]

Tesla targets 2028 production for Roadster after years of delays (engadget.com)

1d 8h

[1.5]

Tesla Roadster Fine Print Shows No Delivery Guarantee (ndtv.com)

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[1.4]

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