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Tesla unveils Roadster sports car with thrusters at SpaceX site in Texas

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 24 outlets across the spectrum.

52 articles in total, 11 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Red sports car with black wheels displayed on dark stage, Tesla badge visible.
Image via MarketWatchHow images are chosenReport this image

Tesla unveiled its redesigned Roadster sports car on Thursday at a SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas, in an event Elon Musk livestreamed. Coverage from outlets on all three sides describes a demonstration in which the car used air thrusters developed with SpaceX engineers to leave the ground, drive up a ramp and perform a flip. Musk first announced the Roadster refresh in 2017, and CNBC and MarketWatch report that Tesla had missed earlier delivery targets. Outlets differ on whether the vehicle should be called a flying car: some use the phrase in their own headlines, while others place ‘flying’ in quotation marks or attribute the term to Musk.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Tesla unveiled the redesigned Roadster at a SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas, on Thursday.

    Across the spectrumReported byLeft3Center2Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Bloomberg, Al Jazeera English, CBS News
    Center
    Financial Times, Newsweek
    Right
    Daily Mail
    Far Right
    Just the News

  2. The demonstration used air thrusters developed with SpaceX engineers, and the car left the ground, drove up a ramp and performed a flip.

    Across the spectrumReported byLeft3Center2Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Bloomberg, Al Jazeera English, CBS News
    Center
    Financial Times, Newsweek
    Right
    Daily Mail
    Far Right
    Just the News

  3. Musk first announced the Roadster refresh in 2017, and the car had been delayed for years.

    Reported byLeft1Center2Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Business Insider
    Center
    MarketWatch, CNBC
    Right
    New York Post

  4. The event was livestreamed.

    One outletCBS News· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The Roadster is a flying car.

    Musk is quoted by CBS saying flying cars are real, and MarketWatch headlines say Tesla may debut a flying car. Financial Times and Newsweek place ‘flying’ in quotation marks, and Townhall says the car does not operate like a flying car from the film Back to the Future.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Tesla unveiled the Roadster at a SpaceX site in Texas, with thruster-powered jumps and flips after years of delay. Left and center headlines focus on the wait and the technical demonstration, while right-side headlines stress the crowd reaction and the sense of a stunt.

  • the left

    6 outlets · 1 opinion

    Left-side headlines lead with the long wait and the aerial stunts, and CBS quotes Musk saying flying cars are real.

    Tesla Showcases Long-Awaited Roadster With Aerial Tricks
    BloombergLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    7 outlets

    Center headlines report the unveiling plainly, stress the years of delay, and in two cases put ‘flying’ in quotation marks or attribute the term to Musk.

    Tesla unveils ‘flying’ sports car with SpaceX rocket thrusters
    Financial TimesCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    11 outlets · 4 opinion

    Right-side headlines emphasize the flight and crowd reaction, with Just the News calling it a viral stunt; the New York Post piece is a Fox Business report and is more measured.

    Elon Musk unveils flying car: Sensational language“Crowd screams”Dramatizes the crowd’s reaction in a headline where a plain account of the reaction would serve.More neutral: Crowd reactsDisagree with this highlight? as new Tesla with rocket thrusters takes off and flips mid-air
    Daily MailRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left8

    jaw-droppingShows Offflying car is heremuch-hyped

  • Center3

    flying carbrash innovatorTouts

  • Right19

    mind-blowingjaw-droppingShows Offflying roadster

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    mind-blowingMore neutral: notable

    The word is an emotional verdict offered in the outlet's own voice.

    …Roadster at a SpaceX test site near McGregor/Waco, Texas, and it was mind-blowing.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)The Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    jaw-droppingMore neutral: impressive

    States the reporter's own reaction as a measure that everyone shares.

    The demo was, by all measures, jaw-dropping.

    Used byBusiness Insider (Left)New York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    Shows OffMore neutral: Unveils

    Shows off implies boasting and judges the motive behind a product unveiling.

    Elon Shows Off a Flying Car

    Used byHot Air (Far Right)CBS News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    flying carMore neutral: Roadster that may hover

    The article's own text says only that the car may be equipped with SpaceX thrusters and may hover, so calling it a flying car asserts more than the coverage confirms.

    Tesla may finally debut a flying car today, after testing fans’ patience for nearly a decade

    Used byMarketWatch (Center)

Show 24 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Absolutist framing

    flying roadsterMore neutral: roadster with thrusters

    States as settled that the car flies, a point other coverage presents as a demonstration or places in quotation marks.

    Tesla unveils flying roadster in viral stunt debut

    Used byJust the News (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    brash innovatorMore neutral: innovator

    Calls the company brash, a judgement about its character that the report does not establish.

    …makes debut after decade in development as EV maker tries to revive image as brash innovator

    Used byFinancial Times (Center)

  • Sensational language

    Absolutely InsaneMore neutral: unveils prototype

    The phrase is an emotional verdict on the prototype rather than a description of it.

    Elon Musk Unveils Prototype of Flying Tesla Roadster, and It Is Absolutely Insane

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    ToutsMore neutral: Presents

    Touts means promotes with hype, a judgement about Musk’s statements that the event itself does not establish.

    Elon Musk Touts ‘Flying Cars’ as Video of Tesla Roadster Takes Off Online

    Used byNewsweek (Center)

  • Sensational language

    Crowd screamsMore neutral: Crowd reacts

    Dramatizes the crowd’s reaction in a headline where a plain account of the reaction would serve.

    Elon Musk unveils flying car: Crowd screams as new Tesla with rocket thrusters takes off and flips mid-air

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Absolutist framing

    flying car is hereMore neutral: Tesla unveils Roadster that it calls a flying car

    Presents Tesla's flying-car label as settled fact, although whether the car flies is what the coverage disputes.

    Tesla's flying car is here, and so are the memes

    Used byBusiness Insider (Left)

  • Sensational language

    much-hypedMore neutral: widely discussed

    Adds the outlet's own judgement of the hype surrounding the sector.

    Technical and regulatory challenges have so far prevented the much-hyped flying car sector from getting off the ground.

    Used byCBS News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    couldn’t hide his delightMore neutral: reacted

    Characterizes Musk's mood in the outlet's own voice rather than reporting what he said or did.

    Elon Musk couldn’t hide his delight after unveiling his new Tesla supercar “The Roadster."

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    quippedMore neutral: said

    Gives the outlet's own characterization of how Musk spoke, beyond the words reported.

    “Well it worked,” Musk quipped alongside Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy and Tesla’s Chief…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    hurled itself to a controlled landingMore neutral: drove off the ramp and landed

    Describes the car's landing with a forceful verb that goes beyond what the demonstration shows.

    …SpaceX rocket technology, the sports car climbed a curved ramp and hurled itself to a controlled landing.

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Absolutist framing

    and it can flyMore neutral: and Musk says it can fly

    Presents Musk's claim that the car can fly as an established fact in the outlet's own voice.

    WATCH: Elon Musk unveils Tesla's new Roadster, and it can fly

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    off-the-railsMore neutral: unconventional

    Describes the company’s unveilings as out of control, a judgement the excerpt does not support with facts.

    …flying supercar was a wow moment even by the standards of the company's famously off-the-rails product unveilings.

    Used byBusiness Insider (Left)

  • Sensational language

    You Need to See ThisMore neutral: Tesla shows off its new Roadster

    A teaser urging readers to watch adds drama rather than describing what happened.

    Tesla Shows Off Its New Flying Roadster, and Yes, You Need to See This

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    breathtakingMore neutral: the demonstration

    Calls the demonstration breathtaking, a judgement about its impact rather than a description of what happened.

    The breathtaking demonstration showcased the new Roadster speeding up a towering curved ramp, using…

    Used byThe Epoch Times (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    push the boundaries of technological innovationMore neutral: Elon Musk is developing new vehicle technology

    Praises Musk as an innovator in the outlet’s own voice, before the article describes the car.

    Elon Musk continues to push the boundaries of technological innovation.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Unlike Anything You've Ever SeenMore neutral: A new design unveiled at the event

    Hyperbole that asserts a comparison a reader cannot check.

    Elon Musk Just Unveiled the Tesla Roadster — and It’s Unlike Anything You've Ever Seen

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    sensational unveilingMore neutral: unveiling

    The adjective sensational adds drama to the unveiling in the outlet’s own voice.

    After the Roadster’s sensational unveiling, it's becoming clear that the phrase "on the road" might need some…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Savage JokeMore neutral: Joke

    The adjective Savage adds drama to a joke that the headline otherwise describes neutrally.

    'Wow!': Ron DeSantis Drops Savage Joke About Elon Musk's New Flying Roadster

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Absolutist framing

    will be a luxury for the richMore neutral: could become expensive to buy

    States a future price outcome as certain although the final price has not been disclosed.

    Tesla's vision for the future: Manually driving your own car will be a luxury for the rich

    Used byBusiness Insider (Left)

  • Sensational language

    derangedMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement

    Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.

    …as a “hit piece”; and Nathan Fielder’s “You Can See Everything” spotlights a deranged Elizabeth Holmes.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    Blows Up the InternetMore neutral: draws online attention

    Says the online reaction was enormous, which the article does not measure.

    Musk's New 'Flying Car' Blows Up the Internet as Tesla Unveils Incredible Demonstration

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Incredible DemonstrationMore neutral: demonstration

    Adds a judgement of quality that the article does not support.

    Musk's New 'Flying Car' Blows Up the Internet as Tesla Unveils Incredible Demonstration

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    stunning maneuversMore neutral: maneuvers

    ‘Stunning’ is an evaluative adjective that adds drama beyond the reported movements.

    Tesla’s new flying Roadster performs stunning maneuvers during live unveiling

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    fliesMore neutral: leaves the ground

    States as fact that the car flies, while the coverage describes a ramp demonstration and thrusters.

    Tesla Roadster flies, flips and hits 60 mph in a flash

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

Words quoted from someone else (4)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    crazyMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement

    Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.

    It's capable of doing "crazy gymnastics," Musk said, like hopping off the ground and spinning in the air.

    Quoted byBusiness Insider (Left)The Daily Wire (Far Right)New York Post (Right)BBC News (Center)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

  • Absolutist framing

    Quoted

    flying cars are realMore neutral: Elon Musk says the Roadster is a flying car

    The headline gives Musk's contested claim as what the event proved, while the same article says the sector has not yet taken off.

    With Tesla Roadster debut, Elon Musk shows "flying cars are real"

    Quoted byCBS News (Left)The Western Journal (Far Right)

    These are Elon Musk and Lars Moravy’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    the best of the last human-driven carsMore neutral: what Tesla calls its last human-driven cars

    A superlative from Tesla’s own promotion, repeated without any check of the claim.

    …at SpaceX’s testing facility in McGregor, Texas, billing it as “the best of the last human-driven cars.” And rather than simply pulling a tarp off the next generation of…

    Quoted byTownhall (Far Right)

    These are Tesla’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    crazy gymnasticsMore neutral: unusual movements

    ‘Crazy’ is slang intensifier that adds drama to the description of the movements.

    …all-electric vehicle “can basically fly like a rocket”, can do “rolls”, and “crazy gymnastics” while it was being showcased.

    Quoted byNew York Post (Right)

    These are Elon Musk’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

6 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • long-awaited delivery after years of delay
  • aerial stunts such as flips and ramp jumps
  • Musk’s claim that flying cars are real
See the 7 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

7 outlets

Leads with

  • the years of delay before the reveal
  • the SpaceX thruster technology
  • the image Tesla is trying to project
See the 7 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • PBS NewsHourCenterAssociated Press report

    Tesla's new Roadster car can thrust itself in the air. Don't expect to drive it anytime soon

    Thursday's launch arrived after years of delays and anticipation around the new Roadster — and Tesla shares climbed about 2% in morning trading on Friday after its unveiling.

    Read at PBS NewsHour (opens in a new tab)
  • BBC NewsCenter

    Watch: Did Tesla really just unveil a flying car?

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk showcased the vehicle at a facility owned by his SpaceX company, which helped develop the model.

    Read at BBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • SemaforCenter

    Tesla and Porsche unveil new models as competition with China heats up

    Tesla unveiled its Roadster, first touted almost a decade ago, while Porsche revealed its first car under its new boss.

    Read at Semafor (opens in a new tab)
  • NewsweekCenter

    Elon Musk Loaded verb“Touts”Touts means promotes with hype, a judgement about Musk’s statements that the event itself does not establish.More neutral: PresentsDisagree with this highlight? ‘Flying Cars’ as Video of Tesla Roadster Takes Off Online

    Elon Musk unveiled a Tesla Roadster capable of aboveground hovering.

    Read at Newsweek (opens in a new tab)
  • Financial TimesCenter

    Tesla unveils ‘flying’ sports car with SpaceX rocket thrusters

    Roadster makes debut after decade in development as EV maker tries to revive image as Loaded modifier“brash innovator”Calls the company brash, a judgement about its character that the report does not establish.More neutral: innovatorDisagree with this highlight?

    Read at Financial Times (opens in a new tab)
  • CNBCCenter

    Tesla plans next-generation Roadster reveal after almost a decade of delays

    Elon Musk first debuted the Roadster refresh concept in 2017 but Tesla has since missed every targeted delivery date.

    Read at CNBC (opens in a new tab)
  • MarketWatchCenter

    Tesla may finally debut a Sensational language“flying car”The article's own text says only that the car may be equipped with SpaceX thrusters and may hover, so calling it a flying car asserts more than the coverage confirms.More neutral: Roadster that may hoverDisagree with this highlight? today, after testing fans’ patience for nearly a decade

    Elon Musk is set to reintroduce the Roadster sports car, possibly equipped with SpaceX thrusters.

    Read at MarketWatch (opens in a new tab)

From the right

11 outlets · 4 opinion

Leads with

  • the car taking off and flipping mid-air
  • crowd reaction at the event
  • the viral stunt framing
See the 17 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    Business Insider, Oct 14, 10:38 AM EDT

  • Center

    1 day 2 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 15, 12:43 PM EDT

  • Right

    1 day 5 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 15, 4:12 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Business InsiderLeftOct 14, 10:38 AM EDT
  2. MarketWatchCenterOct 15, 12:43 PM EDT
  3. CNBCCenterOct 15, 2:19 PM EDT
  4. New York PostRightOct 15, 4:12 PM EDT
  5. BloombergLeftOct 15, 10:31 PM EDT
  6. Financial TimesCenterOct 15, 10:41 PM EDT
  7. NewsweekCenterOct 15, 11:39 PM EDT
  8. Daily MailRightOct 16, 1:53 AM EDT
  9. The Daily WireFar RightOct 16, 2:31 AM EDT
  10. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 16, 3:10 AM EDT
  11. CBS NewsLeftOct 16, 5:31 AM EDT
  12. ABC NewsLeftOct 16, 6:40 AM EDT
  13. SemaforCenterOct 16, 7:09 AM EDT
  14. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 16, 8:25 AM EDT
  15. BBC NewsCenterOct 16, 8:32 AM EDT
  16. PBS NewsHourCenterOct 16, 10:16 AM EDT
  17. The Washington TimesRightOct 16, 10:38 AM EDT
  18. The Epoch TimesFar RightOct 16, 11:26 AM EDT
  19. RedStateFar RightOct 16, 11:52 AM EDT
  20. NBC NewsLeftOct 16, 11:58 AM EDT
  21. One America NewsFar RightOct 16, 6:43 PM EDT
  22. The Western JournalFar RightOct 17, 1:29 PM EDT
  23. Fox NewsFar RightOct 18, 11:16 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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