Tesla Reveals SpaceX-Powered Flying Roadster As Volvo Expands NVIDIA Deal & Rivian Plans AI Agents

Tesla has finally revealed a flying Roadster, but its most extraordinary version isn't approved for public roads.

Meanwhile, Volvo is strengthening its NVIDIA partnership for automated driving, and Rivian is preparing to bring third-party AI agents into its electric vehicles.
 

TL;DR

 

• Tesla unveiled a SpaceX-powered Roadster with cold-gas thrusters, airborne capabilities, and production targeted for 2028.
• Volvo expanded its NVIDIA partnership to develop automated driving technology for electric, hybrid, and gasoline-powered vehicles.
• Rivian plans to integrate third-party AI agents into its cars while keeping braking and steering outside their control.

 

Tesla Unveils Flying Roadster With SpaceX Thrusters And Three Performance Trims

After nearly nine years of anticipation, Tesla's second-generation Roadster has finally demonstrated something unusual for a sports car: flight!

During an event near Waco, Texas, the redesigned electric supercar climbed an inverted ramp, rotated in midair, and landed using powerful fans and thrusters. It also lifted itself over other Tesla vehicles.

Tesla's official Roadster page reveals three configurations: Performance, Thrust, and Rocket.

Performance offers two seats, active aerodynamics, and a multi-mode suction system. Thrust adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters, with Tesla claiming acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in under one second.

Rocket goes further, positioning thrusters around a single-seat vehicle to enable forward, upward, and lateral movement. However, this invite-only configuration isn't approved for public-road use.

Tesla also claims its suction technology can generate enough downforce to hold the vehicle upside down while stationary. Lightweight materials, steer-by-wire controls, and adjustable aerodynamics support its performance ambitions.

Reportedly, the aerial demonstration used 10 thrusters connected to 600 liters of compressed air.

CEO Elon Musk now targets production in 2028, although a final selling price remains undisclosed.

While Tesla chases gravity-defying performance, another automaker is focusing on making everyday driving more intelligent.
 

 

Volvo Expands NVIDIA Partnership For Hands-Free Automated Driving Technology

Volvo is expanding its long-standing partnership with NVIDIA to develop automated driving capabilities for urban roads and highways.

The collaboration combines three NVIDIA technologies with Volvo's vehicle engineering and safety systems: Hyperion, Alpamayo, and Halos.

Hyperion provides the sensor and computing architecture, Alpamayo supplies AI-powered driving models and development tools, while Halos adds a safety evaluation framework.

Together, these technologies will support automated driving through AI models, conventional software, and multiple sensors, including cameras and radar.

NVIDIA automotive head Ali Kani explained that the approach uses parallel software systems to improve reliability. The company's open-source Alpamayo software has reportedly attracted more than 650,000 developer downloads.

The move builds on Volvo's existing use of NVIDIA Orin processors in its battery-electric vehicles and reflects NVIDIA's broader push into intelligent automotive technology.

However, Volvo now wants this technology across electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and gasoline-powered models rather than restricting it to EVs.

Volvo hasn't disclosed the partnership's financial value or identified the first vehicle receiving the new technology.

Its software development chief, Alwin Bakkenes, expects the first vehicle using the expanded stack to arrive within the decade, with potential deployment across additional models afterward.

Meanwhile, Rivian is exploring a different automotive AI opportunity, one focused on conversations rather than driving decisions.
 

 

Rivian Plans Third-Party AI Agents For Personalized In-Car Assistance

Rivian wants its electric vehicles to support AI agents developed by external companies, potentially including Anthropic.

Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe revealed the plans at TechCrunch Disrupt, outlining how conversational AI could become a more personalized part of the driving experience.

Rivian already offers an AI assistant built around its proprietary agentic framework. The system interprets voice commands and decides whether to process requests using an onboard AI model or cloud-based technology.

Drivers can currently use conversational requests to adjust cabin temperatures, activate seat warmers, and retrieve information. The system can also interact with external applications such as Google Calendar.

Future integrations could allow conversations to continue across devices, with an AI agent remembering previous discussions and responding to contextual requests inside the vehicle.

However, adding external agents requires coordination with AI developers and safeguards around vehicle operations.

Scaringe stressed that safety-critical functions, including braking and steering, would remain outside third-party AI agents' control.

Rivian hasn't announced a deployment date and plans to share more information at its AI & Autonomy Day event in December.

With Ford also developing AI-powered vehicle assistants, Rivian's plans highlight a growing automotive focus on personalized software experiences without surrendering essential vehicle controls.