Who would oversee a flying car? We asked the DOT.

Key points

• Elon Musk unveiled a Tesla Roadster he called a flying car, with production planned for 2028.
• A senior DOT official said there is no clear answer on which agency would oversee it.
• The FAA said the vehicle does not meet its definition of an aircraft.
• NHTSA has not responded to a request for comment.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, unveiled a new Tesla Roadster that he described as a flying car. The vehicle is equipped with ultra high-pressure air tanks and is about a decade behind schedule, with production planned for 2028.

Tesla's website states the flying model is not approved for public road use. A non-flying version can be reserved online with a $5,000 deposit, but the Rocket model with the full flight system will be offered by invitation only.

Regulatory oversight remains unclear

A senior Department of Transportation official, who expressed skepticism that the vehicle will actually be able to take off, acknowledged there is no clear answer on which agency would oversee it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration typically regulates vehicles but delegates safety certification to automakers, and it has not yet responded to a request for comment.

If the Roadster enters the public domain with off-ground driving capability, oversight would seem to shift to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA told CBS News that the Tesla vehicle does not meet its definition of an aircraft.

The Tesla vehicle does not meet the FAA definition of an aircraft.

— FAA

Demo and next steps

Thursday's Roadster demonstration showed the car launching from a ramp that curled over so the vehicle was upside down, appearing to cling to the surface before flying off the end and rolling 180 degrees midair to land on its wheels.

CBS News reached out to Tesla to ask which agencies the company is working with and will update if it hears back.