Tesla Just Unveiled a Flying Car That Leverages SpaceX Technology. Is This the Next Big Catalyst For the Stock?
I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Tesla unveiled a flying Roadster using SpaceX tech, but production in 2028 limits near-term financial impact. The event is viewed as a technological showcase rather than a major sales driver due to high costs and regulatory hurdles. However, it has boosted speculation of a Tesla-SpaceX merger, with Kalshi odds rising to 60%. Analysts suggest such a merger could consolidate Musk's control and potentially lift Tesla's stock via a premium acquisition.
Tesla (TSLA -3.22%) Founder and CEO Elon Musk has always been on the cutting edge of technology.
Musk was the first to commercialize electric vehicles, and his other company, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., was also the first to pioneer reusable rockets.
In recent years, Tesla has launched what it hopes will soon be a fully self-driving robotaxi fleet and is set to begin production of Optimus Humanoid robots.
But there seems to be no end to the trillionaire entrepreneur's ambitions. Recently, Musk debuted Tesla's next-generation Roadster at a demonstration in Texas, and the event did not disappoint.
The Roadster climbed a vertical ramp, went upside down, then righted itself before using cold-gas thrusters and ultra-high-pressure air tanks to hover above the ground and safely land.
Some versions of the Roadster will also reportedly be able to reach 60 miles per hour in under one second and top out at 230 mph. The electric vehicle can also travel 300 miles on a single charge.
The demonstration truly looked like something you would see in a futuristic movie. Is this the next big catalyst for Tesla stock?
Image source: Tesla.
Not likely to make a financial dent
While the Tesla Roadster is an extraordinary demonstration, it's unlikely to have a true financial impact, at least any time soon.
Tesla said production will begin in 2028. Currently, people looking to reserve these vehicles can put a deposit of $50,000 for the "Performance" version and $250,000 for the "Thrust” version.
The vehicle is more likely a way for Tesla and SpaceX to showcase their superior technological capabilities.
"Tesla does not currently have a halo car, or high-performance luxury vehicle designed to showcase an automaker's best engineering and technology. The Roadster will be Tesla's new halo car," Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein said in a research note last month, according to Reuters.
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Similar to other Tesla products and vehicles, this version of the Roadster has been promised for some time, with Musk initially unveiling the concept in 2017 and saying deliveries could begin in 2020.
Given the high price of the vehicle, it's not one the public can broadly afford. I would also assume there would be some pretty big regulatory hurdles to clear to allow these vehicles on the road.
There is another underlying catalyst
While the Roadster may not be a massive seller, many analysts and investors view the demonstration as further evidence that SpaceX will eventually merge with Tesla, a deal that has long been rumored.
Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management had two takeaways on the Roadster demonstration:
"It was an engineering flex with no commercial value beyond embarrassing traditional car makers," Munster wrote on X. "Elon can't wait to bring $TSLA and $SPCX together."
Following the Roadster event, the odds of such a tie-up happening on Kalshi before May 1 of 2027 jumped from about 40% a few days ago to 60%, as of this writing.
The broader belief in the market is that a SpaceX-Tesla merger would make sense because both are heavily investing in technologies like AI and robotics that could complement each other’s businesses. The two are also building a massive terafab facility together.
A merger could also potentially help Musk gain greater control of Tesla, where Musk owns about 20% of outstanding shares. Meanwhile, Musk owns over 48% of outstanding SpaceX shares, but roughly 82% of total voting power.
If Tesla is acquired, it might be done so at a premium, which would lift the stock.