Tesla has set October 1 for the next major reveal of its long-delayed second-generation Roadster, nearly nine years after first showing the electric sports car. The company posted “Go for launch” on X alongside an image carrying the date “10.01,” while its official Roadster page now points visitors toward the upcoming event.
The teaser image appears to reference the SpaceX package that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has discussed for years. The optional system is expected to use cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX, which Musk has previously claimed could give the Roadster extreme acceleration and potentially allow it to briefly leave the ground.
Roadster Has Faced Years of Delays
Tesla first presented the second-generation Roadster in November 2017, initially targeting production for 2020. That date passed, followed by several additional delays as Tesla concentrated on other vehicles and projects.
The wait has frustrated some reservation holders. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said last year that 7.5 years felt like a long time after paying a $50,000 reservation fee, prompting a public exchange with Musk over whether his refund had been processed.
The vehicle shown on October 1 may also differ substantially from the prototype Tesla presented in 2017. The Information reported that Tesla abandoned the earlier version and developed a new design ahead of the upcoming presentation.
Production Will Still Come Later
Even after the October event, customer production is not expected to begin immediately. Musk has previously said Tesla would need another 12 to 18 months after the final Roadster demonstration before production could start.
Tesla has spent years describing the Roadster as a high-performance electric sports car intended to sit above the rest of its passenger vehicle lineup. Its existing product page still advertises a 0-to-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a top speed above 250 mph and a range of 620 miles, although Tesla has not confirmed whether those figures will apply to the redesigned vehicle expected on October 1.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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