Don Lemon’s interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been getting a lot of attention for the tense way it ended. However, before things got testy between the two men, Musk dropped some tidbits about the upcoming Tesla Roadster, saying that it will be the first (and possibly last) entry into a category of vehicle that has never existed before.
The CEO said that the Roadster’s combination of Tesla and SpaceX technology will birth something that’s “not even really a car.” When queried if the car will be the way of the future, or at least something that is imitated by other automakers, Musk responded, “I don’t think anyone will ever make anything like the Roadster we’re gonna make.”
The 52-year-old Tesla boss remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the vehicle, merely hinting that it will be “something that’s never existed before.” He reiterated that the Roadster would incorporate “rocket technology”, once again leaving us in the dark about the details, as usual.
Read: Tesla Roadster Delayed For 2025, Musk Promises 0-60 Blast-Off In Under 1 Second
However, in the past, he has mentioned that the car will be equipped with a “SpaceX option package” that includes “around 10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around the car.” That will help it to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in under a second, he claimed.
When Lemon asked if the “rocket-y stuff,” as Musk referred to it, will allow the car to fly, the CEO looked away coyly and said, “Maybe. It’s not out of the question.” On the subject of wings, the CEO would only say that the car will “not have big wings, because big wings would be unwieldy on the road.”
First presented to the world in 2017, the second-generation Tesla Roadster has been delayed multiple times. However, last month, Musk said that the production version of the car will finally be revealed in 2025.
While discussion of the Tesla Roadster project getting back on track was friendly, Musk’s interview with Don Lemon went off the rails later on, when the subject of X and content moderation were brought up.
Touchy subjects
When Lemon raised the topic of posts including hate speech increasing after Musk took over ownership of Twitter, now X, the mood chilled. Asked about his views on illegal immigration and the bigoted “great replacement theory,” Musk responded that he didn’t have to answer questions from reporters.
“Don, the only reason I’m doing this interview is because you’re on the X platform, and you asked for it. Otherwise, we’re not going to be doing this interview,” the CEO said, looking visibly irritated by the end of the interview.
Since the episode aired, Lemon’s deal with X has been canceled. Although The Don Lemon show will continue to shoot and will be posted on the platform, it will no longer appear there first.
