DigiTimes评论称特斯拉Roadster飞行车面临安全、保险与监管障碍，难成主要利润引擎

Technology appears capable of almost anything. Tesla's next-generation Roadster electric sports car has brought capabilities once confined to science fiction films into the realm of real-world electric vehicles.

However, Elon Musk has made it clear that the car is designed to deliver an exhilarating driving experience, emphasizing that its appeal lies in excitement rather than safety.
In other words, the Roadster is intended for those willing to take risks, while the fainthearted might be better off staying away. Whether regulators will allow such a vehicle on public roads is another question, one that transportation authorities, aviation regulators, and lawmakers will need to examine carefully.
Tesla founder Elon Musk personally introduced the next-generation Roadster in mid-October. The so-called flying car uses powerful fans and a specially designed underbody to generate suction, theoretically allowing it to cling upside down to a ceiling like a gecko without falling.
When the fans are switched off, the vehicle would begin to fall, smoothly rotate like a diver, and use powerful jets to maintain its orientation before landing safely.
In heavy traffic, the Roadster could even use its jets to lift itself off the ground, move ahead of the congestion, and land at the front of the line, turning a disadvantage into an advantage.
Having twice traveled to the United States at the invitation of Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council to observe the recovery of SpaceX Falcon 9 first-stage boosters, I can appreciate how the Roadster's proposed landing mechanism represents an extension of Falcon 9 booster recovery technology.
However, one concern remains. Failed booster recoveries carry the risk of explosions and fires, with approximately two or three failures for every 100 attempts. If the Roadster similarly relied on rocket fuel and liquid oxygen, an accident could produce a deadly fireball rather than a cinematic special effect.
A closer examination of Tesla's description, however, reveals that the Roadster is fully electric and does not use conventional rocket propellants. Instead, it reportedly features carbon-fiber composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs), 600 liters of compressed air, and 10 thrusters.
Provided the vehicle's battery is not damaged by impacts during takeoff or landing, the risk of an explosion or fire should be relatively low.
What remains unknown is how many repeated launches and landings the suspension, chassis, and tires can withstand, as no relevant durability data has been publicly disclosed.
Extreme performance raises safety and insurance questions
The Roadster's sudden upward acceleration could resemble the ejection mechanism of a fighter jet, subjecting drivers and passengers to considerable G-forces.
Could these forces injure their bones or muscles? Could spinal compression temporarily reduce a person's height? These questions may remain unanswered until the technology is tested in practice.
The Roadster is also expected to exceed 370 kilometers per hour. Would property and casualty insurers be willing to cover such a vehicle? Could drivers and passengers obtain personal injury or accident insurance?
Even in the United States, where long, straight highways offer opportunities for high-speed driving, speeding poses serious dangers to other road users. Which country would permit such risks on public roads?
By combining concepts from SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster technology with Tesla's electric vehicle engineering, the Roadster challenges conventional ideas of what a four-wheeled passenger car can do.
Consider Highway 101 between Silicon Valley and downtown San Francisco, where Teslas are frequently seen stuck in rush-hour traffic.
If flying Roadsters eventually became commonplace along the same route, vehicles might simply leap into the air, transforming traffic jams on the ground into traffic jams in the sky.
Flying cars enter regulatory territory that remains undefined
Who would regulate vehicles traveling through the air—the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or highway patrol officers? How would airborne vehicles communicate to prevent collisions? Would drivers be allowed to change lanes in midair?
What would happen if a Roadster remained airborne for too long and exhausted its compressed-air supply while the roads below were packed with vehicles? Would it land safely, or crash onto the roof of another car?
A Roadster capable of flipping through the air, briefly hovering, and returning to the ground would certainly represent an impressive technological achievement. It would also demonstrate how Tesla and SpaceX engineers can turn concepts once limited to science fiction into reality.
Nevertheless, such a flying sports car would be so far ahead of existing regulations that obtaining registration and approval for use on public roads would be nearly impossible under current conditions.
Perhaps the Roadster's actual market would be limited to enclosed environments, such as private farms, private airfields, circuses, and amusement parks. If so, its sales potential would inevitably be constrained, and some countries might even prohibit its import.
Ultimately, the flying Roadster is unlikely to become Tesla's next major profit engine, despite the attention it attracts. Even so, it could represent a milestone in human engineering and innovation.