Tesla's New Roadster Cold Gas Thruster Details Revealed

Details of the next-gen Tesla Roadster's "cold-gas thruster" system surfaced after the launch event: Tesla VP of Hardware Engineering Lars Moravy walked Hagerty through how it works. The car does 0-60 mph in just 0.55 seconds, and the system is built almost entirely from parts borrowed from Musk's other ventures.

Confirmed

• Energy storage comes from a 200-liter carbon-fiber overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) mounted behind the trunk/seats, using SpaceX tank technology; per Moravy it stores air at roughly 10000 psi (m1, m2)
• Valves and other control components come from the Optimus team (m2)
• The propellant isn't a special gas but ordinary air: a battery-powered onboard compressor pumps ambient air into the tank at high pressure, so it can recharge while driving; it can store 250kg of compressed air for bursts like acceleration, jumps, and quick spins (m5)
• Photos from the event confirm the hardware: a large spherical carbon-fiber tank, support structure, and multiple nozzle arrays, with the SpaceX logo clearly visible on the tank — the storage/thrust portion of the 100,000 N·m SpaceX cold-gas thruster package Musk previously announced (available as an optional "Thrust tank" component) (m3, m4)
• A caption on PTrubey's photos states the 0-60 mph time shown at the event was 0.81 seconds (m3), which coexists with Moravy's 0.55-second figure; the discrepancy may reflect different configurations or measurement standards, and the material doesn't explain it

Why it matters

• This is the first time a Tesla executive has systematically explained how the cold-gas thruster works, with nearly all components reused from mature SpaceX and Optimus technology — a showcase of tech synergy across Musk's businesses
• The compressed-air approach means owners don't need to refill any special gas, greatly improving everyday usability; the package will be offered as an option, marking the first time such a propulsion system appears on a production car

2026-10-16 ~ 2026-10-17 · 5 related posts

• [source] Up-close photos reveal the Roadster's cold-gas thruster tank and nozzles — PTrubey · 2026-10-16
• [source] Tesla Roadster Thruster Teardown: SpaceX COPV Tank Plus Optimus Actuator — XFreeze · 2026-10-16
• [source] Tesla Roadster uses SpaceX cold-gas thrusters to hit 0-60 mph in 0.55 seconds — elonmusk · 2026-10-17
• Tesla Roadster's cold-gas thrusters run on plain compressed air and recharge while driving — altryne · 2026-10-17
• Tesla Roadster's optional SpaceX thrust tank shown up close in new photos — bennash · 2026-10-17