What changed

Tesla Roadster (second generation)

Comparing version 1 (21 October 2026, 07:06 UTC, imported from the content file) with version 1 (21 October 2026, 07:06 UTC, imported from the content file).

The text is identical between these two versions; the change was to the references or the provenance, not to what the page says.

1. What we know so far
2. On 16 November 2017, Tesla unveiled a second-generation Roadster prototype at the end of its Semi event near Los Angeles.
3. As of 20 October 2026, no production second-generation Roadster had been built or delivered.
4. On 15 October 2026, Tesla showed a redesigned two-seat Roadster at SpaceX's test site in McGregor, Texas, with stunts performed using a suction system and thrusters and no one inside.
5. On 15 October 2026, Elon Musk said production would begin in 2028.
6. On 15 October 2026, Tesla did not announce a purchase price for the redesigned Roadster.
7. As of 15 October 2026, Tesla listed Performance, Thrust and Rocket versions on its post-event reservation page, with Reuters reporting a $50,000 Performance deposit and a $250,000 Thrust deposit, and Quartz reporting a $5,000 payment at sign-up with a $45,000 balance due within 10 days.
8. On 15 October 2026, Tesla vehicle engineering chief Lars Moravy said the Roadster could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under one second and reach more than 230 mph.
9. On 15 October 2026, Tesla said the Roadster could travel more than 300 miles on a single charge, a lower figure than the 620-mile claim Tesla made in 2017.
10. As of 15 October 2026, the Rocket version was listed as invitation-only and described on Tesla's reservation page as not approved for road use.
11. First shown: 16 November 2017, Hawthorne, California
12. Shown again: 15 October 2026, McGregor, Texas (per CNBC)
13. Production start (Musk): 2028, as stated by Elon Musk on 15 October 2026
14. Base price from 2017: From $200,000
15. 2026 price: Not announced
16. 0–60 mph claim (2017): 1.9 seconds (Tesla)
17. 0–60 mph claim (2026): 0.81 seconds (Tesla, not independently timed)
18. Versions listed (2026): Performance, Thrust, Rocket
19. Announcement in 2017
20. Tesla unveiled a second-generation Roadster prototype at the end of its Semi event near Los Angeles on 16 November 2017. At the unveiling, Tesla said the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, and Musk said it would have a top speed above 250 mph and a range of 620 miles. Reservations required an initial $5,000 deposit, with at least $50,000 due within 10 days.
21. Promised dates and delays
22. Tesla's original 2020 target, set in November 2017, was the first of several production dates Musk announced. In July 2020, Musk said Roadster production would occur within the following 12 to 18 months. In January 2021, he said production would slip to 2022, and in September 2021, he said it would move to 2023. In May 2023, Musk targeted 2024, and in February 2024, he said production would begin in 2025. In November 2025, Musk said Tesla planned a Roadster demonstration on 1 April 2026, followed by production about 12 to 18 months later.
23. In March 2026, Musk posted that the unveiling would hopefully occur the following month. On 21 April 2026, on Tesla's earnings call, Musk said the Roadster might debut in about a month after further testing and validation. In June 2026, The Information reported that Tesla had delayed the planned demonstration to August or later. Tesla had also scheduled an event for 1 October 2026, which the company canceled on 28 September, citing weather and the need for an outdoor show. On 15 October 2026, Musk said production would begin in 2028.
24. The SpaceX package
25. In June 2018, Musk described a SpaceX option package for the Roadster that would place roughly ten small rocket thrusters around the vehicle. Cold-gas thrusters were a feature of the 15 October 2026 demonstration in McGregor, where Tesla showed the Roadster driving upside down on a ramp, rotating, and landing without a driver using a suction system and the thrusters. Reporters described the car as briefly lifting and jumping during the event. Tesla's reservation page after the event described a Rocket version as invitation-only and not approved for road use.
26. The October 2026 reveal
27. On 15 October 2026, Tesla showed a redesigned two-seat Roadster at SpaceX's test site in McGregor, Texas. According to CNBC, the demonstration used a suction system and thrusters to drive the car upside down on a ramp, rotate, and land, with no one inside the vehicle. Quartz reported that the Roadster jumped five cars during the unveiling. Musk, on the same day, said production would begin in 2028 and described the Roadster as Tesla's last model designed for human drivers.
28. Tesla did not announce a purchase price for the redesigned Roadster on 15 October 2026. CNBC and Reuters described a 50,000 dollar deposit for the Performance version, while Quartz described a 5,000 dollar payment at sign-up with a 45,000 dollar balance due within 10 days. Reuters reported that Tesla's post-event reservation page showed a 250,000 dollar deposit for the Thrust version.
29. Versions and specifications
30. Tesla listed Performance, Thrust and Rocket versions after the 15 October 2026 unveiling. Tesla said the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under one second during the demonstration, and Jalopnik reported that Tesla claimed a 0.81-second time, a figure that was not independently timed. Tesla vehicle engineering chief Lars Moravy said the Roadster could reach more than 230 mph, while Musk said the car should reach halfway to the speed of sound, a higher target than 230 mph. Tesla said the Roadster could travel more than 300 miles on a single charge, compared with the 620-mile range Tesla claimed in 2017.
31. Prices and reservations
32. Tesla did not announce a new purchase price for the redesigned Roadster on 15 October 2026. Tesla's post-event reservation page showed a $50,000 deposit for the Performance version, according to CNBC and Reuters, while Quartz reported a $5,000 payment at sign-up with a $45,000 balance due within 10 days, and Reuters reported a $250,000 deposit for the Thrust version. Tesla's reservation page described the Rocket version as invitation-only and not approved for road use.
33. Reception
34. The National News Desk reported Musk's on-stage statement that flying cars are real. Quartz described the Roadster as jumping five cars with no one inside. CNBC framed the event as Tesla unveiling a long-delayed Roadster developed with SpaceX and reported that the demonstration fueled merger speculation between Tesla and SpaceX. Jalopnik's headline characterized the re-reveal as promising a new design, flight and production in 2028. Electrek, Jalopnik and Drive Tesla Canada had earlier reported each successive delay to the planned demonstration between late 2025 and mid-2026.
35. What is not known
36. No production second-generation Roadster had been built or delivered as of 21 October 2026. Tesla did not announce a purchase price for the redesigned Roadster on 15 October 2026, and the 2026 demonstration did not include an independently timed 0 to 60 mph or quarter-mile run. Whether and when production will actually begin in 2028, as Musk said on 15 October 2026, remains unverified.
37. Timeline
38. 2017-11-16: Tesla unveils second-generation Roadster prototype near Los Angeles.
39. 2020-07: Musk says production will occur within 12 to 18 months.
40. 2021-01: Musk says production slips to 2022.
41. 2021-09: Musk says production slips to 2023.
42. 2023-05: According to Electrek, Musk targets 2024 production.
43. 2024-02: Musk says production will begin in 2025.
44. 2026-03: According to Drive Tesla Canada, Musk posts that the unveiling will hopefully occur the following month.
45. 2026-04-21: Musk says on the earnings call that the Roadster might debut in about a month.
46. 2026-06-05: The Information reports that the demonstration has slipped to August or later.
47. 2026-09-28: Tesla cancels its 1 October 2026 event, citing weather.
48. 2026-10-15: Tesla shows the redesigned Roadster in McGregor, Texas; Musk says production will begin in 2028.

Back to the page · Suggest a change