Tesla Reveals Roadster Demo, Sets Production Target for 2028

The Big Picture

Tesla has shown off its next-generation Roadster after years of delays, but the event did not mark the start of customer production. At a Thursday demonstration near Waco, Texas, the company displayed a white electric sports car that drove up a ramp, went upside down, flipped in midair and briefly hovered before landing.

Elon Musk said the Roadster will enter production in 2028, nearly nine years after Tesla first unveiled the redesigned model in 2017 and began accepting deposits. Tesla did not announce a final vehicle price, production volume or delivery schedule.

The distinction is significant. The Roadster has moved from a long-running concept and reservation program to a public demonstration, but Tesla still faces a lengthy path before it delivers the vehicle to customers.

What Happened

The event was held at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, near Waco, according to CNBC. Musk appeared alongside Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen and Lars Moravy, the company’s vice president of vehicle engineering.

Tesla said the two-seat Roadster reached 60 miles per hour in under one second, according to the company’s timer. TechCrunch described the demonstration as showing the car reach 60 mph in one second. The company also used a combination of fans and SpaceX-related cold-gas thrusters in the aerial maneuvers, the outlets reported.

TechCrunch reported that the vehicle lifted over several Tesla vehicles, including a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Semi, Model Y and Model 3. Moravy said the car uses 10 thrusters connected to 600 liters of compressed air, according to TechCrunch.

“This will be the actual car that’s on the roads,” Musk said at the event, according to TechCrunch.

Background

Tesla first revealed the modern Roadster concept at a 2017 event for its Semi truck. At the time, the company said customer deliveries would begin in 2020. That target was missed, followed by further delays in 2021, 2023, 2024, late 2025 and 2026.

The planned Oct. 1 Roadster demonstration was itself delayed by severe weather, according to CNBC and TechCrunch. CNBC also reported that Tesla established a no-fly zone around the SpaceX facility for the demonstration.

Tesla had begun taking $50,000 reservations for the Roadster in 2017. The company’s website now lists a $50,000 reservation for a Performance version and a $250,000 reservation for a higher-end Thrust version, TechCrunch reported. The Rocket version is invite only, according to the publication.

TechCrunch reported Tesla plans three trims: the two-seat Performance and Thrust models, and a one-seat Rocket model. It said Tesla claims all three will offer 300 miles of range and top speeds above 230 mph. Those planned specifications differ from the 2017 concept, which Tesla advertised with up to 620 miles of range and a top speed above 250 mph.

Why It Matters

The Roadster is intended as a high-end, low-volume halo vehicle rather than a major source of Tesla revenue. CNBC reported that it is not expected to have a material financial impact on the company, while Musk has characterized the project as a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX.

The demonstration also comes as the company seeks to prove it can deliver on one of its oldest outstanding consumer vehicle promises. The Roadster’s lengthy development has drawn public criticism from reservation holders, including OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman and technology reviewer Marques Brownlee. CNBC reported that Altman ultimately received a refund after seeking one.

The original Tesla Roadster, based on a Lotus Elise chassis, was first delivered in 2008 and sold in small volumes until 2012. The new model is meant to be a far more ambitious successor, built around acceleration and thruster-assisted demonstrations that Tesla says could alter how a road car performs.

What Happens Next

Tesla now has to turn its demonstration vehicle into a production program. The company has said production is planned for 2028, but it has not disclosed expected output, a firm delivery window or complete final specifications.

That leaves prospective buyers with another wait, despite a reveal that showed a more developed Roadster than the concept Tesla displayed in 2017. For now, the event offered evidence of Tesla’s engineering ambitions, not evidence that the delayed sports car has entered production.