Tesla RoadsterExplainer
Tesla Roadster unveiling: Oct. 15 at 8:55 p.m. ET, and what Tesla has promised
3 min
Rumor tracker Unveiling Oct. 15
Tesla Roadster (the next-generation Roadster)Release date, price, specs and rumors
Every claim about Tesla's next-generation Roadster in one place: what Tesla and Musk have said on the record since 2017, patents and reports on the Oct. 15 unveiling, thrusters, price and production, each labeled and dated.
Updated · 20 confirmed · 5 reported · 11 rumors
When we could hear more
TomorrowTesla Roadster unveiling livestream, 8:55 p.m. ET
After that
- Tesla Q3 2026 results and webcast, 5:30 p.m. ET
- Announced?Confirmed Yes, since 2017, but not on sale. Tesla streams the unveiling live on Oct. 15 at 8:55 p.m. ET (7:55 p.m. Central).
- What Tesla promisedConfirmed In 2017: 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, over 250 mph, 620 miles of range, four seats, from $200,000, production in 2020. Musk later aimed for under 1 second.
- What Tesla has deliveredConfirmed No cars yet. Tesla takes reservations of $5,000 plus a $45,000 wire, and its July 2026 update still lists Roadster as “design development”.
- What the event should showRumor Tesla says it can only be held outdoors. Reports say a remote-controlled car with SpaceX cold gas thrusters that can briefly lift off.
- Release dateConfirmed Not set. Musk said in November 2025 that production comes 12 to 18 months after the demo. Tesla has not named a factory.
- PriceConfirmed No current price. Tesla took its 2017 prices of $200,000 (base) and $250,000 (Founders Series) off its Roadster page by December 2021.
- Confirmed The company said it, or a store or rating board lists it
- Reported A credible trace: supply chain, filings, code or benchmarks; not confirmed
- Rumor A leak or a claim nobody has confirmed
Confirmed so far
Only what the company has said, filed or listed.
- Tesla unveiled the next-generation Roadster at its Semi event, with production set for 2020. Its page listed 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, a top speed over 250 mph, 620 miles of range, 10,000 Nm of wheel torque, all-wheel drive, four seats and a removable glass roof. Price: $200,000 with a $50,000 reservation, or $250,000 paid in full for one of 1,000 Founders Series cars.Tesla’s unveiling event and Roadster page
- Musk wrote that a SpaceX option package would add about 10 small rocket thrusters around the car to improve acceleration, top speed, braking and cornering, adding: “Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly”.a Musk post on X
- Musk said the package will use a SpaceX cold gas thruster system with ultra-high-pressure air in a tank that sits in place of the two rear seats.a Musk post on X
- Musk wrote: “Range will be above 1000km”.a Musk post on X
- Musk blamed “super crazy supply chain shortages” and wrote: “Assuming 2022 is not mega drama, new Roadster should ship in 2023.”a Musk post on X
- Tesla’s Roadster page no longer listed the $200,000 and $250,000 prices or the Founders Series. Only the $50,000 base reservation remained.Tesla’s Roadster page
- Musk said Tesla would “hopefully” start Roadster production in 2024, and called it “not a commitment”.Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting
- Musk said Tesla had “radically increased the design goals”, that the car would be built with SpaceX, and that it aimed to unveil it at the end of 2024 and ship in 2025. He put 0-60 mph under 1 second and called that “the least interesting part”.Musk posts on X
- Musk said he hoped to show the Roadster before the end of 2025, called the demo “unforgettable”, and said its technology is crazier than all James Bond cars combined.Musk in a podcast interview
- Musk set the demo for April 1, 2026, joking that the date gives him “some deniability”. He said the car will be “very different” from what Tesla has shown before and that production comes 12 to 18 months after the demo.Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting
- Tesla’s fourth-quarter update said “preparations continue in North America” for the Semi and Cybercab ramps, both starting in the first half of 2026, “and production of the next-generation Roadster”.Tesla’s quarterly update filed with the SEC
- Musk wrote: “New Roadster unveil hopefully next month. It will be a banger next-level.”a Musk post on X
- Musk said Tesla “may be able to debut that in a month or so” and that the car needs “a lot of testing and validation” before a demo.Tesla’s earnings call
- Tesla’s second-quarter update listed Roadster as “Design development” with its factory location “TBD”, unchanged since at least October 2025.Tesla’s quarterly update filed with the SEC
- Tesla posted “Go for launch” with a “10.01” graphic, and Musk wrote “New Tesla Roadster Unveil 10.01”. Tesla’s Roadster page showed a countdown and a dark teaser image.posts by Tesla and Musk on X
- Musk said of the event: “It’ll be a banger. Excitement guaranteed.” He said Tesla needs a live audience “to vouch for the fact that this is not AI”.Musk in an on-stage interview at a tech conference
- Tesla’s Roadster reservation page took $5,000 by card plus a $45,000 wire within 10 days in the US, or CAD 6,000 plus CAD 58,000 in Canada, with no price listed. Reservations are not final until the wire arrives. Saved copies show the same US terms since at least January 2025.Tesla’s Roadster reservation page
- Tesla ended its Semi event with a short Roadster teaser showing a full-width light bar across the nose, then posted it with “See you next week”.Tesla’s Semi event and a Tesla post on X
- Tesla postponed the Oct. 1 event because of “severe conditions predicted” and because it “can only be held outdoors”. New date: Oct. 15. The next day Musk wrote that “high winds” were the reason.posts by Tesla and Musk on X
- Tesla posted: “Roadster event streaming live this Thursday at 7:55pm CST”. Texas is on daylight time in October, so that is 8:55 p.m. ET on Oct. 15. Musk reposted it with “Timing is everything”.a Tesla post on X
Rumors and reports
Not confirmed. Each line shows where the claim comes from, when it first appeared and where it stands today.
Release date
- RumorTesla pushed the public Roadster demo to August or later.a US tech news site citing four people with knowledge of the program · first seen Jun 5, 2026Confirmed No August demo came. On Sept. 12 Tesla set Oct. 1, then moved the event to Oct. 15.
- RumorThe unveiling will take place at SpaceX’s rocket test site in McGregor, Texas, near Waco.a US tech news site citing people with knowledge of the program; a global wire service repeated it · first seen Aug 14, 2026Holding Tesla has not named the site. It says the event can only be held outdoors.
- ReportedInvitations to early reservation holders set the Oct. 1 event in Waco, Texas, at 5:30 p.m. PT, for guests 21 and older, with tickets that cannot be transferred.Tesla invitations sent to reservation holders, shown by a Tesla news site · first seen Sep 12, 2026Changed On Sept. 28 Tesla moved the event to Oct. 15. The livestream starts at 7:55 p.m. CT.
Price
- RumorThe limited SpaceX edition will not be street legal and could cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Tesla has discussed selling it to superfans through a program like Ferrari’s XX cars.a US tech news site citing people with knowledge of the program · first seen Aug 14, 2026Holding Tesla lists no price. Its 2017 prices were $200,000 and $250,000.
Design
- RumorTesla built a running two-seat prototype with butterfly doors late in 2025. The design went through a Lamborghini Countach phase and an SR-71 phase before turning more conservative.a US tech news site citing people with knowledge of the program · first seen Aug 14, 2026Holding Conflicts with Tesla’s 2017 promise of four seats.
- RumorIn 2022 Musk chose an ultralight carbon fiber tub over a version built on Model S Plaid parts.a US tech news site citing people with knowledge of the program; a global wire service repeated it · first seen Aug 14, 2026Holding
- RumorTesla also considered a single-seat version with a thruster where the passenger seat would be.a US tech news site citing people with knowledge of the program · first seen Aug 14, 2026Holding
Performance
- RumorThe report says Tesla expects the A71 thrusters to sharply cut acceleration times and let the car briefly lift off the ground. Tesla and SpaceX staff showed Musk an early version in late April.a US tech news site citing people with knowledge of the program · first seen Jun 5, 2026Holding Musk said on the record in 2024 that 0-60 mph under 1 second is the goal.
Features
- ReportedTesla was granted a patent for fans that pull air from under a car to press it onto the road, with two modes for different speeds.a US patent (Tesla, US 12,377,920) · first seen Aug 5, 2025Holding Filed April 29, 2025. Tesla has not tied it to the Roadster.
- RumorTesla plans two cars: a limited SpaceX edition with the thrusters and a “scaled down” version.a US tech news site citing people with knowledge of the program · first seen Jun 5, 2026Holding
- RumorThe demo car will be driven by remote control with nobody inside, and viewers will stand several hundred yards back because the thrusters are loud.a US tech news site citing people with knowledge of the program · first seen Aug 14, 2026Holding
- RumorAn early demo plan had a magnetized ramp, upside-down driving, self-righting and hovering. Tesla has since cut it back.a US tech news site citing people with knowledge of the program · first seen Aug 14, 2026Holding
- ReportedTesla filed for a hidden rear wing that sits flush in road mode, deploys in under 3 seconds, makes up to 700 kg of downforce at top speed and starts to pull back if a rear crash is predicted. The drawings show a low fastback sports car.a published US patent application (Tesla, US 2026/0285418) · first seen Sep 24, 2026Holding The filing names no vehicle, and Tesla has not said the wing is for the Roadster.
- ReportedTesla was granted an “Electric Fan Car” patent: four battery-powered fans in the rear diffuser suck the car onto the road at any speed, with no skirts. The drawings show a Model S.a US patent (Tesla, US 12,746,987) · first seen Sep 29, 2026Holding Tesla has not tied it to the Roadster. Model S is out of production.
Name
- ReportedTesla filed US trademark applications for a new stylized “ROADSTER” name on Feb. 3, 2026, and on April 28 for a badge: an upside-down hexagon with four vertical lines and “ROADSTER” inside.US trademark applications filed by Tesla · first seen Feb 3, 2026Holding Both applications are still under examination.
- RumorThe SpaceX thruster system is code-named “A71”. A later report says the name nods to the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane that inspired the car’s styling.a US tech news site citing people with knowledge of the program · first seen Jun 5, 2026Holding
Tesla Roadster vs original Roadster vs Model S Plaid
All three columns use Tesla's official figures. The new Roadster column shows what Tesla promised in 2017, not a tested car.
| Tesla Roadster (promised) | Original Tesla Roadster (2008) | Tesla Model S Plaid (production ended 2026) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Official: unveiled Nov. 16, 2017, not on sale; livestream Oct. 15, 2026 | Official: sold from 2008, assembled by Lotus in England | Official: no longer in production; Tesla may still have pre-owned inventory cars |
| Price | Official: $200,000 base and $250,000 Founders Series in 2017, both off its Roadster page by December 2021; no price now | Official: $109,000 base for the 2009 model | None: Tesla no longer sells it new |
| Reservation | Official: $5,000 by card plus a $45,000 wire within 10 days (US) | Official: $60,000 refundable fee in 2008 | None: not offered new |
| 0-60 mph | Official: 1.9 seconds; Musk later set under 1 second as the goal | Official: under 4 seconds; 3.9 seconds for the 2011 Roadster 2.5 | Official: 1.99 seconds, with rollout subtracted |
| Top speed | Official: over 250 mph | Official: 125 mph, electronically limited | Official: 200 mph with a paid hardware upgrade, otherwise 163 mph |
| Range | Official: 620 miles; Musk wrote in 2019 “above 1000km” | Official: about 220 miles EPA combined; 245 miles for the 2011 Roadster 2.5 | Official: 368 miles, EPA estimate |
| Drive and power | Official: all-wheel drive, 10,000 Nm of wheel torque | Official: rear-wheel drive, 248 hp (185 kW), 276 lb-ft | Official: three motors, all-wheel drive, 1,020 hp |
| Body and seats | Official: four seats, removable glass roof | Official: two seats, open top, 2,723 lb | Official: four-door sedan, 4,802 lb, drag coefficient 0.23 |
| Battery and charging | No credible leak | Official: 6,831 lithium-ion cells, 992 lb pack; full charge in about 3.5 hours with Tesla’s High Power Connector | Official: Supercharging at up to 250 kW |
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Tesla Roadster FAQ
When is the Tesla Roadster unveiling?
Confirmed Tesla streams the Roadster event live on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, at 7:55 p.m. Central time, which is 8:55 p.m. ET. It moved the event from Oct. 1 because of the weather.
Where is the Roadster event held?
Reported Tesla has not named the site, but says the event can only be held outdoors. Invitations for the first date said Waco, Texas, and reports point to SpaceX’s test site in McGregor, near Waco.
When will the new Roadster come out?
Confirmed Tesla has not set a date. Musk said in November 2025 that production comes 12 to 18 months after the demo. Tesla says it is preparing Roadster production in North America, but its July 2026 update still lists the car as in design development.
How much will the new Tesla Roadster cost?
Rumor Tesla lists no price. In 2017 it listed $200,000 for the base car and $250,000 for the Founders Series, but took both prices off its Roadster page by December 2021. Reports say a limited SpaceX edition could cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.
Can I reserve a Tesla Roadster?
Confirmed Yes. Tesla takes $5,000 by card plus a $45,000 wire within 10 days in the US, or CAD 6,000 plus CAD 58,000 in Canada. The reservation is not final until the wire arrives, and Tesla lists no price.
What are the Tesla Roadster specs?
Confirmed Tesla’s 2017 figures are 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, over 250 mph and 620 miles of range, with four seats and all-wheel drive. Musk has since said the design goals went up and set 0-60 mph under 1 second as the aim.
Will the Tesla Roadster fly?
Rumor Musk wrote in 2018 that a SpaceX package might “even allow a Tesla to fly”. Reports say the SpaceX thrusters can lift the car off the ground briefly, and that the demo car will run with nobody inside.
What is the Roadster SpaceX package?
Rumor Musk says it uses a SpaceX cold gas thruster system, with a high-pressure air tank in place of the rear seats. Reports say its code name is A71 and that it comes on a limited, not street-legal edition.
Tesla Roadster vs Model S Plaid: which is faster?
Confirmed On paper, the Roadster: Tesla promised 1.9 seconds to 60 mph and over 250 mph, against 1.99 seconds and 200 mph (with a paid upgrade) for the Model S Plaid. Model S is out of production, and no new Roadster has been delivered.
Timeline
- Nov 16, 2017Confirmed Tesla unveils the new Roadster at its Semi event: 1.9 seconds to 60 mph, 620 miles, from $200,000, production in 2020.
- Jun 9, 2018Confirmed Musk describes a SpaceX option package with about 10 small rocket thrusters.
- Jan 9, 2019Confirmed Musk says the thrusters run on high-pressure air stored where the rear seats would be.
- Sep 1, 2021Confirmed Musk blames supply chain shortages and says the Roadster should ship in 2023.
- Dec 12, 2021Confirmed Tesla’s Roadster page no longer lists the $200,000 and $250,000 prices.
- May 16, 2023Confirmed Musk says production should “hopefully” start in 2024, and calls it “not a commitment”.
- Feb 28, 2024Confirmed Musk says Tesla “radically increased” the design goals and aims for 0-60 mph under 1 second.
- Aug 5, 2025Reported Tesla is granted a US patent for fans that press a car onto the road.
- Nov 6, 2025Confirmed Musk sets the demo for April 1, 2026, with production 12 to 18 months later.
- Jan 28, 2026Confirmed Tesla says it is preparing Roadster production in North America; the car is still in design development.
- Feb 3, 2026Reported Tesla files a US trademark application for a new stylized “ROADSTER” name.
- Mar 17, 2026Confirmed Musk says the unveiling is “hopefully next month”.
- Apr 22, 2026Confirmed On the earnings call, Musk says Tesla may show the car “in a month or so”.
- Jun 5, 2026Rumor Reports say the demo slips to August or later to show SpaceX thrusters code-named A71.
- Jul 22, 2026Confirmed Tesla’s quarterly update still lists Roadster as “design development”, factory “TBD”.
- Aug 14, 2026Rumor Reports say the demo car will run by remote control at a SpaceX test site near Waco.
- Sep 12, 2026Confirmed Tesla posts “Go for launch” and sets the unveiling for Oct. 1.
- Sep 14, 2026Confirmed Musk calls the event “a banger” and says a live audience will show it is “not AI”.
- Sep 18, 2026Confirmed Tesla’s reservation page asks $5,000 plus a $45,000 wire, as it did in 2025, with no price listed.
- Sep 24, 2026Confirmed Tesla ends its Semi event with a Roadster teaser showing a full-width light bar.
- Sep 24, 2026Reported A Tesla patent application for a hidden rear wing with up to 700 kg of downforce is published.
- Sep 28, 2026Confirmed Tesla postpones the Oct. 1 event over the weather and moves it to Oct. 15.
- Sep 29, 2026Reported Tesla is granted an “Electric Fan Car” patent; its drawings show a Model S.
- Oct 13, 2026Confirmed Tesla says the event streams live on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7:55 p.m. Central. Musk adds: “Timing is everything”.
Keep exploring
Change log: every check and update (2)
- Tracker opened: 20 confirmed facts and 16 rumors and reports, each labeled and dated.
- Checked Tesla’s posts on X and the latest saved copies of its Roadster reservation page: $5,000 plus $45,000 reservations with no price, livestream still set for Oct. 15 at 7:55 p.m. Central, no change announced.