Tesla will livestream the second-generation Roadster unveiling tonight from Waco, Texas, at 7:55 p.m. Central time. The event has been confirmed via Tesla's official X account, delayed two weeks from its original October 1 date after the company cited severe weather forecasts and the outdoor nature of the event.
"The new Tesla Roadster is a candidate for greatest product demo of all time," Musk wrote on X Wednesday. Hours before the scheduled demonstration, he escalated further: "New Roadster is beyond movies, beyond imagination, beyond human, yet still made by humans on Earth."
Thursday is the fifth target Musk or Tesla has publicly given for the demonstration in 2026 alone, following April 1, late April, "a month or so" from late April, and October 1. The broader timeline is worse.
The Record
The second-generation Roadster was first unveiled as a prototype in November 2017 at the Tesla Semi event. At the time, Musk promised production would begin in 2020, with the electric supercar boasting specs that sounded almost too good to be true: 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, a 620-mile range from a 200 kWh battery pack, a top speed above 250 mph, and a base price of $200,000.
In July 2020, Musk pushed it to "the next 12-18 months." In January 2021, he pushed production to 2022. By September 2021, it was delayed to 2023. At the May 2023 shareholder meeting, Musk moved the target to 2024.
Tesla first showed the Roadster in November 2017 and promised production in 2020. Nearly nine years later, it hasn't delivered a single one.
In the intervening years, rivals have shipped production EVs with sub-two-second 0-60 times, built megawatt charging networks, and in some cases launched and discontinued entire vehicle lines in the time Tesla has spent finalizing the Roadster.
What Buyers Already Put Down
Tesla first took Roadster deposits in November 2017, when it rolled a prototype onto the stage at the Semi event. The terms then were the same $50,000 for a standard reservation, plus a $250,000 "Founders Series" that required the full amount up front.
It's the second time Tesla has collected $50,000 for the Roadster. The first batch of deposit-holders is still waiting, nearly nine years later. Electrek reported last year that reservation holders, including Marques Brownlee (who'd waited eight years), struggled to even get their deposits back, with Tesla initially hanging on to the $5,000.
Tesla has reopened reservations for its next-generation Roadster, asking buyers for a $50,000 deposit before the car is even unveiled. The reserve page went live ahead of an October reveal near Waco, Texas.
The Flying Question
The location has prompted speculation that tonight's demonstration will feature more than a car on a stage. The launch event is being held on the property of another Musk venture, SpaceX, in Waco, Texas. According to The Information's reporting, the event could feature a Roadster equipped with thrusters designed in collaboration with SpaceX.
In 2017, Musk floated the possibility of a special upgrade package that could let the car make short flying hops. In 2018, he outlined a proposed SpaceX option package with about 10 small rocket thrusters integrated into the vehicle.
Musk has been deliberately vague about how far it goes. In one widely circulated post describing the option package, he wrote: "Not saying the next gen Roadster special upgrade package will definitely enable it to fly short hops, but maybe … Certainly possible. Just a question of safety."
Cold-gas thrusters are a meaningfully different proposition than a flying car in the popular imagination. They are typically used for fine attitude control on spacecraft, not for generating enough sustained lift to carry a two-ton vehicle off the ground.
The Information reported in August that Tesla had been developing a modified Roadster using SpaceX cold-gas thrusters, potentially allowing the vehicle to lift itself off the ground. The planned demonstration would reportedly involve a remotely operated prototype, with spectators kept at a safe distance.
Tech Insider's earlier reporting found no public evidence of FAA sign-off on any powered-lift or hover capability, a gap that remains unresolved heading into tonight's event.
What Remains Unknown
Six years past its original on-the-road date, the car still does not have a confirmed production date, a confirmed price, or even a confirmed name beyond "Tesla Roadster."
Tesla's second-quarter manufacturing update still listed the Roadster in "Design development," with its manufacturing location undetermined.
Gerber Kawasaki Wealth Management CEO Ross Gerber, a longtime Tesla bull, questioned why the car needed to have hovering capabilities and said that the model may be a limited-run vehicle only.
The livestream begins at 7:55 p.m. Central time on X. Tesla has publicly claimed the production Roadster will hit 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, reach a top speed above 250 mph, and travel 620 miles on a charge, with pricing starting at $200,000 and a $250,000 Founders Series tier. Those remain manufacturer claims rather than confirmed production specifications.
