On the Dash:
- Tesla says the second-generation Roadster will enter production in 2028, years after its original 2020 target.
- The company claims the electric sports car can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in about one second with compressed-air thrusters and reach speeds above 230 mph.
- Tesla has reopened reservations with a $5,000 upfront deposit, positioning the Roadster as a high-end performance vehicle while leaving its final price and key road-use details undisclosed.
Tesla unveiled its second-generation Roadster on Thursday at a SpaceX test facility in McGregor, Texas, nearly nine years after its first reveal.
At first, the Roadster drove up a curved ramp, clung to it upside down with a suction system, flipped in the air and landed under control. In a second run, the car used thrusters to jump over five Tesla vehicles, including a Cybercab, a Cybertruck, a Semi, a Model Y and a Model 3. The crowd included Tesla enthusiasts and investors, and Tesla invited early reservation holders who paid deposits nearly nine years ago.
CEO Elon Musk said production will begin in 2028, eight years after Tesla’s original 2020 target.
On the engineering side, Tesla executives showed a fan-based suction system under the car that increases grip and downforce. Compressed-air thrusters let the Roadster jump through the air. Tesla said the car can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than one second with the thrusters activated, and a Tesla-run test at the event clocked 0.81 seconds. Vehicle Engineering Chief Lars Moravy said the top speed exceeds 230 mph. According to Musk, the demonstration car ran without a driver for safety.
Despite the spectacle, Tesla didn’t announce a final price, even after attendees asked. Musk offered little clarification on street legality, noting that it “depends on your street.”
Tesla’s website lists Thrust and Rocket options, describing the Thrust version as limited availability, while the invite-only Rocket version seats one occupant and promises a full flight system. However, the website says the Rocket version is not approved for public road use. Although neither option lists a final price, the reservation page asks for $250,000 to reserve a Thrust model, and the EV maker has yet to disclose the Rocket deposit.
Reservations reopen
In November 2017, Tesla showed a Roadster prototype and accepted $50,000 deposits for standard reservations and $250,000 for a limited Founders Series model, promising production in 2020. However, Tesla never started production that year. Since then, the company has repeatedly pushed the date back. Tesla’s website now accepts new reservations for the Performance version with a refundable $5,000 deposit, and Tesla requires the remaining $45,000 by wire within 10 days.
The redesigned Roadster has sharper, more angular lines than the curving prototype Tesla showed in 2017. At the same time, Musk said the Roadster will be the only Tesla meant for a human driver, even as the company pursues autonomous technology. Tesla released the original Roadster in 2008, and the car helped establish EVs as desirable performance cars. The new Roadster will compete with luxury performance brands such as Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari.
Financially, Musk has said he isn’t sure the Roadster will move the needle much from a revenue standpoint. Still, Battle Road Research estimates that selling 7,000 Roadsters at an average of $280,000 in the first 12 months of production would generate about $2 billion, a 2% increase to Tesla’s projected 2027 revenue.
