We asked the DOT who would oversee a flying car like Tesla’s Roadster. The answer isn’t readily clear.

October 16, 2026 / 2:29 PM EDT / CBS News

Who has oversight of a car that flies, hovers or otherwise defies gravity? We asked Department of Transportation officials, and the answer isn't readily clear.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's new Roadster Rocket, which he called a "flying car" equipped with "ultra high-pressure air tanks" — describing it as "what happens when you have a collaboration with the world's best car company and the world's best rocket company." The car — about a decade behind schedule — would go into production in 2028.

Technical and regulatory challenges have so far prevented the much-hyped flying car sector from getting off the ground, and Tesla's website notes that the flying model isn't approved for public road use. There's a non-flying version of the car, which would-be buyers can reserve online with a $5,000 deposit, but the Tesla website says the Rocket model with the "full flight system" will be offered by invitation only.

So, who will decide whether the Roadster is safe? There's time to work that out, but a senior Department of Transportation official, who expressed skepticism that the vehicle will actually be able to take off, acknowledged…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/