Tesla Roadster (second generation)

What we know so far

• On 16 November 2017, Tesla unveiled a second-generation Roadster prototype at the end of its Semi event near Los Angeles.^[1][2]
• As of 20 October 2026, no production second-generation Roadster had been built or delivered.^[1]
• On 15 October 2026, Tesla showed a redesigned two-seat Roadster at SpaceX's test site in McGregor, Texas, where it performed stunts with no one inside, using a suction system and thrusters.^[7][8][9]
• On 15 October 2026, Elon Musk said production would begin in 2028.^[7][8]
• Tesla did not announce a purchase price for the redesigned Roadster at the 15 October 2026 event.^[7][8][9]
• Tesla's post-event reservation page listed Performance, Thrust and Rocket versions; Reuters reported a $50,000 deposit for the Performance and a $250,000 deposit for the Thrust, while Quartz reported a $5,000 payment at sign-up with a $45,000 balance due within 10 days.^{[7][8][9][11]}
• 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.^[8]
• On 15 October 2026, Tesla said the Roadster could travel more than 300 miles on a single charge, less than the 620 miles it claimed in 2017.^[2][8]
• As of 15 October 2026, Tesla's reservation page listed the Rocket version as invitation-only and not approved for road use.^[9]

First shown

16 November 2017, Hawthorne, California^[1][2]

Shown again

15 October 2026, McGregor, Texas^[7][8]

Planned production start

2028, as Elon Musk said on 15 October 2026^[7][8]

Base price (2017)

From $200,000^[2]

Price (2026)

Not announced^[7][8][9]

0–60 mph claim (2017)

1.9 seconds (Tesla)^[2]

0–60 mph claim (2026)

0.81 seconds (Tesla, not independently timed)^[1][10]

Versions listed (2026)

Performance, Thrust, Rocket^[8][9]

Announcement in 2017

Tesla unveiled the second-generation Roadster prototype on 16 November 2017, at the end of its Semi event near Los Angeles.^[1][2] 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.^[2] Reservations required an initial $5,000 deposit, with at least $50,000 due within 10 days.^[2]

Promised dates and delays

Tesla's original target, set in November 2017, was production in 2020, the first of several dates Musk would announce.^[2] In July 2020 he said production would come within the following 12 to 18 months,^[5] and in January 2021 that it would slip to 2022, then in September 2021 to 2023.^[5] In May 2023 he targeted 2024, and in February 2024 he said production would begin in 2025.^[5] In November 2025 he said Tesla planned a Roadster demonstration on 1 April 2026, with production about 12 to 18 months after that.^[3][5][6]

The demonstration itself kept moving. In March 2026 Musk posted that the unveiling would hopefully happen the following month,^[4] and on Tesla's 21 April 2026 earnings call he said the Roadster might debut in about a month, after further testing and validation.^[5] In June 2026, The Information reported that Tesla had delayed the demonstration to August or later.^[6] Tesla then scheduled an event for 1 October 2026 and canceled it on 28 September, citing the weather and the need for an outdoor show.^[9] When the Roadster was finally shown, on 15 October 2026, Musk said production would begin in 2028.^[7][8]

2:33 Musk on stage Musk speaking to the audience at the 15 October 2026 event.^[7][8]

The SpaceX package

In June 2018, Musk described a SpaceX option package for the Roadster that would place roughly ten small rocket thrusters around the car.^[7] Cold-gas thrusters featured in the 15 October 2026 demonstration in McGregor, where the Roadster, with no driver, used a suction system and the thrusters to drive upside down on a ramp, rotate and land.^[7][8] Reporters described the car briefly lifting off and jumping.^[9][11] After the event, Tesla's reservation page described a Rocket version as invitation-only and not approved for road use.^[9]

7:14 Launches upside down The Roadster climbs the curved ramp until it is upside down at the top.^[7][8]

7:33 Launches upside down, in slow motion The same climb, slowed down: the Roadster turns upside down at the top of the ramp.^[7][8]

7:45 A second slow-motion view Another slowed view of the Roadster turning upside down on the ramp.^[7][8]

The October 2026 reveal

On 15 October 2026, Tesla showed a redesigned two-seat Roadster at SpaceX's test site in McGregor, Texas.^[7][8] With no one inside, the car drove upside down on a ramp, rotated and landed, using a suction system and thrusters,^[7][8] and Quartz reported that it jumped five cars.^[9] Musk said the same day that production would begin in 2028, and called the Roadster Tesla's last model designed for human drivers.^[7][8][9]

7:10 Going vertical The Roadster goes vertical on the ramp during the demonstration.^[9]

Versions and specifications

Tesla listed three versions after the unveiling: Performance, Thrust and Rocket.^[8][9] During the demonstration Tesla said the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under one second, and Jalopnik reported Tesla's claim of 0.81 seconds, a time that was not independently measured.^[7][1][10] Lars Moravy, Tesla's vehicle engineering chief, said the Roadster could exceed 230 mph, while Musk set a higher target: half the speed of sound.^[8] Tesla put the range at more than 300 miles on a single charge, compared with the 620 miles it claimed in 2017.^[8][2]

Prices and reservations

Tesla did not announce a purchase price for the redesigned Roadster at the 15 October 2026 event.^[7][8][9] According to CNBC and Reuters, its post-event reservation page asked for a $50,000 deposit on the Performance version; Quartz described a $5,000 payment at sign-up and a $45,000 balance due within 10 days, and Reuters reported a $250,000 deposit for the Thrust version.^{[7][8][9][11]} Tesla's reservation page described the Rocket version as invitation-only and not approved for road use.^[9]

Reception

On stage, Musk declared that flying cars are real, The National News Desk reported,^[11] and Quartz described the Roadster jumping five cars with no one inside.^[9] CNBC presented the event as the unveiling of a long-delayed Roadster developed with SpaceX and reported that it fueled speculation about a merger of Tesla and SpaceX.^[7] Jalopnik's headline said the re-reveal promised a new design, flight and production in 2028.^[10] Electrek and Drive Tesla Canada had reported each delay to the demonstration between late 2025 and mid-2026.^[3][4][5][6]

What is not known

As of 21 October 2026, no production second-generation Roadster had been built or delivered.^[1] Tesla did not announce a purchase price at the 15 October 2026 event, and the demonstration included no independently timed 0 to 60 mph or quarter-mile run.^{[7][8][9][10]} Whether production will begin in 2028, as Musk said it would, remains unverified.^[7][8]

Timeline

1. 2017-11-16 Tesla unveils second-generation Roadster prototype near Los Angeles.^[1][2]
2. 2020-07 Musk says production will occur within 12 to 18 months.^[5]
3. 2021-01 Musk says production slips to 2022.^[5]
4. 2021-09 Musk says production slips to 2023.^[5]
5. 2023-05 According to Electrek, Musk targets 2024 production.^[5]
6. 2024-02 Musk says production will begin in 2025.^[5]
7. 2026-03 According to Drive Tesla Canada, Musk posts that the unveiling will hopefully occur the following month.^[4]
8. 2026-04-21 Musk says on the earnings call that the Roadster might debut in about a month.^[5]
9. 2026-06-05 The Information reports that the demonstration has slipped to August or later.^[6]
10. 2026-09-28 Tesla cancels its 1 October 2026 event, citing weather.^[9]
11. 2026-10-15 Tesla shows the redesigned Roadster in McGregor, Texas; Musk says production will begin in 2028.^[7][8]