Elon Musk is “finally releasing his first flying car today.”
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Did Elon Musk release a flying car? No, but that false claim took off on Facebook
If Your Time is short
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Elon Musk has not released a flying car.
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The images used in the post were of the Jetson ONE, produced by the company Jetson, not a Musk company.
On Facebook, a claim about a new invention by billionaire Elon Musk is taking off.
"After years of anticipation, Elon Musk is finally releasing his first flying car today," a Nov. 29 post read. "This innovative Tesla car is totally different from the flying cars other companies boast about."
It cited Musk saying, "Our New Flying Cars Will Hit The Market TODAY."
(Screenshot from Facebook)
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
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Despite the caption saying this innovation is "different," reverse image search showed that the top two photos are connected to Jetson, a Swedish company specializing in electric vertical take-off and landing.
Its aircraft, the Jetson ONE, is drone-like in its operation and does not require a pilot’s license. It cannot be flown in densely populated areas or near airports, Business Insider reported. It had its first flight in the U.S. in Texas in October 2023.
The Jetson ONE uses Tesla battery cells, which provide a flight time of 20 minutes. But this aircraft is not mentioned on Tesla’s website.
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The post’s top-left image is similar to a photo uploaded by Axios in an October 2023 article about Jetson, while the top-right image of the person in a black shirt manning the vehicle is from a 2022 Jetson YouTube video.
On its website, Jetson says its 2024 and 2025 production is sold out but it is taking orders for 2026. The aircraft is priced at $128,000 before taxes and fees, with a downpayment of $8,000.
Musk has made claims that Tesla’s Roadster sports car — which is still in development — may have flying capabilities. He posted June 15 on X, "The new Tesla Roadster can fly." According to an Oct. 23 Fortune report, Musk remarked on billionaire Peter Thiel’s desire for flying cars, saying, "We’ll see, more to come."
There has been an uptick of Facebook posts about innovations attributed to Musk, but these creations don’t exist.
For now, fantasies of a Tesla flying car remain grounded. We rate claims that Musk has released such a car False.
Our Sources
Facebook post (archived), Nov. 29, 2024
Axios, The "Jetsons" era of personal flight is getting closer, Oct. 6, 2023
YouTube video by Jetson, Jetson ONE - Once You Have Tasted Flight, May 18, 2022
Jetson, Jetson One, accessed Dec. 2, 2024
Jetson, The History of eVTOL, May 24, 2022
Jetson, A beginners guide to the world of VTOL, May 24, 2022
Jetson, Jetson First Flight in the USA at UP.Summit 2023, Oct. 11, 2023
Jetson order form, accessed Dec. 2, 2024
Business Insider, 63-mph flying car doesn't require a pilot's license, Aug. 1, 2022
VentureBeat, Jetson raises $15M from Will.i.am and others for personal electric flying vehicle, Oct. 2, 2023
Fortune, Elon Musk says the Tesla Roadster is still delayed with no release in sight—but now he’s talking about making Peter Thiel’s flying car a reality, Oct. 23, 2024
Forbes, Flying Cars Are Here, And You Can Buy This One For Less Than $100,000, Oct. 12, 2023
Forbes, Will The (Rocket-Powered And Flying) Tesla Roadster Ever Materialize?, March 22, 2024
Tesla, Roadster, accessed Dec. 2, 2024
X post by Elon Musk, June 15, 2024
PolitiFact, On Facebook, Elon Musk is an invention superhero. But many of these posts are made-up and feature AI, Nov. 20, 2024
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Did Elon Musk release a flying car? No, but that false claim took off on Facebook
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