Blog ·
When will the Tesla Roadster come out?
Tesla says production of the new Roadster will begin in 2028. Elon Musk gave that date when the redesigned car was shown on Oct 15, 2026, but no production Roadster has been built or delivered yet, and Tesla has missed every earlier date it set for this car, starting with 2020. Tesla also has not announced a price. Our page on the Tesla Roadster (second generation) follows the whole story, with video moments from the October event.
What did Tesla announce in October 2026?
On Thursday, Oct 15, 2026, Tesla showed a redesigned two-seat Roadster at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, near Waco, in an event that was livestreamed, CNBC reported. Musk said there that the car would enter production in 2028. With no one inside, the car drove up a ramp until it was upside down, then used thrusters developed with SpaceX to turn and land. Quartz reported that it jumped five cars.
Reuters listed the main claims from the night:
| Production start | 2028 |
| Price | Not announced |
| 0 to 60 mph | Under one second |
| Top speed | Over 230 mph, said Tesla's vehicle engineering chief Lars Moravy |
| Range | Over 300 miles on a single charge |
| Versions | Performance, Thrust and Rocket |
None of the performance figures has been measured independently. Jalopnik reported that Tesla claimed 0 to 60 mph in 0.81 seconds, a time that was not shown on an on-screen timer during the event, "let alone independently verified."
How many times has the Roadster been delayed?
Many. The car was first shown in November 2017, at the end of Tesla's Semi truck event near Los Angeles, and NPR reported that it was meant to go into production in 2020. Electrek kept count of what came after:
- July 2020: production within "the next 12-18 months."
- January 2021: pushed to 2022.
- September 2021: pushed to 2023.
- May 2023: a target of 2024.
- February 2024: an unveiling of the production version by the end of the year, with deliveries from early 2025.
- Late 2024: production slipped to 2025 or 2026.
Then the demonstration itself began to slip. At Tesla's shareholder meeting on Nov 6, 2025, Musk said the demo would be on Apr 1, 2026, and that production would follow about 12 to 18 months later. On Tesla's earnings call in April 2026 he said Tesla "may be able to debut that in a month or so." In June, The Information reported a delay to August or later, according to Electrek. Tesla then set an event for Oct 1, 2026, and called it off on Sep 28, citing the weather and saying the show could be held only outdoors. It finally took place two weeks later.
Has the Roadster changed since 2017?
Yes, and not every number went up. In 2017, Tesla promised a 0 to 60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a top speed above 250 mph and a range of 620 miles, from a base price of $200,000, NPR reported. In 2026, the acceleration claim is faster, but the stated range of over 300 miles is less than half of what Musk promised in 2017, Reuters noted, and Moravy's figure for top speed is lower. Musk said he wanted it "definitely much faster than that," aiming for half the speed of sound.
The thrusters are new to the car itself, though not to the idea. Musk first described a SpaceX option package in a series of posts in June 2018, CNBC reported.
Can you order one now?
You can reserve one, but not buy one. Tesla's reservation page asks for $5,000 at sign-up and a $45,000 balance within 10 days, and it calls the first payment fully refundable, Quartz reported. Reuters reported a $250,000 deposit for the Thrust version. The third version, Rocket, seats one, is invitation-only and carries the line "Not approved for road use." Asked how the car would be street legal, Musk answered, "Depends on your street, but it'll be a viable car," according to the same Quartz report.
So should you count on 2028?
Treat it as a target, not a date. The record above is not a prediction, but it is the best evidence anyone has: every production date set for this car since 2017 has passed without a car. What would change that is concrete news, such as a price, a factory, or a first customer delivery. Until then, 2028 is what Tesla says, and nothing more. We will update our Roadster page when any of it happens, and you can read more about the man making the promises on our page on Elon Musk.
More from the blog
Why was Farscape canceled?Sci Fi said falling ratings and a steep rise in cost. The show's creator called it a business decision made while its studio was in turmoil. What each side said, and how the story got its ending anyway.
How did Patrick Stewart die?Sir Patrick Stewart died at home in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct 28, 2026, aged 86, after Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. What those conditions are, his life in brief, and the tributes.
When will the Roman Space Telescope release its first images?NASA expects to release the Roman Space Telescope's first science images by early 2027. It has already taken test images, and it is in its final commissioning phase.