Future Transport
Tesla Roadster: What Tesla Has Officially Said
Quick answer
You cannot buy the Tesla Roadster yet. Tesla showed a redesigned two-seat car on October 15, 2026 and Elon Musk said production should start in 2028, eight years after the 2020 date Tesla gave in 2017. Reservations are open at $50,000 for the Performance trim and $250,000 for Thrust, with no final price. The 0.81-second 0–60 mph time is Tesla's own claim.
On this page
- When is the Tesla Roadster release date?
- How many times has the Roadster been delayed?
- What did Tesla show on October 15?
- What specs has Tesla claimed for the new Roadster?
- How much does the Tesla Roadster cost?
- What does a Roadster reservation actually give you?
- How does the 2026 Roadster differ from the 2017 one?
- What should you watch for next?
- FAQ
- Sources
Tesla first showed a new Roadster in November 2017 and said it would be in customers' hands by 2020. On October 15, 2026, it showed a different car and gave a new date. If you are asking when the Tesla Roadster will be released, the short answer is 2028, according to Elon Musk, and Tesla itself says it cannot guarantee that.
Below is what Tesla has said, split into what it showed, what it promised and what it has not said. We read Tesla's own Roadster page and its reservation screen from screenshots taken on October 24, 2026. For what was said on stage, we used TechCrunch, Jalopnik, Fox News and Electrek, read the same day. The sources are listed with dates at the end.
When is the Tesla Roadster release date?
Musk said on October 15, 2026 that Tesla will build the car in 2028, according to TechCrunch. Jalopnik reports the same production start and notes that Tesla has not proven any of its claims. Fox News calls 2028 "a target rather than a guaranteed date" and quotes Tesla's own reservation terms: the Roadster "remains under development" and Tesla "cannot guarantee when a vehicle will be delivered, or whether it will be delivered at all." On stage, Musk said "success is not guaranteed."
How many times has the Roadster been delayed?
The production date has moved from 2020 to 2028, according to Electrek's timeline. The table shows each promise and when it was made.
| When | What was said |
|---|---|
| Nov. 2017 | Prototype shown at the Tesla Semi event. Production promised for 2020 |
| July 2020 | Production slips to 2021 |
| Jan. 2021 | Production slips to 2022 |
| Sept. 2021 | Production slips to 2023 |
| May 2023 | Musk says production will "hopefully" start in 2024, adding "this is not a commitment" |
| Feb. 2024 | Production moves to 2025; Musk says design goals were "radically increased" |
| Nov. 2025 | Musk: "that demo event will be April 1 of next year" and production "about 12-18 months after that" |
| Sept. 28, 2026 | Tesla cancels the Oct. 1 event, citing weather |
| Oct. 15, 2026 | Redesigned Roadster shown. Production target: 2028 |
Roadster production dates as Tesla and Musk gave them, from Electrek's timeline (Oct. 13, 2026) and its Nov. 6, 2025 report.
The demo slipped too. Electrek notes it was first planned for the end of 2025, then set for April 1, 2026, a date Musk said gave him "deniability."
What did Tesla show on October 15?
A driverless stunt show built with SpaceX. Fox News places the event at SpaceX's rocket test site in McGregor, Texas, near Waco. The car used fans and compressed-gas thrusters to drive up a steep ramp until it was upside down, spin in the air and land on its wheels. It also hopped over a row of Tesla vehicles: a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Semi, Model Y and Model 3. Tesla said nobody was inside.
The thrusters run on compressed air, not rocket fuel. Lars Moravy, a Tesla engineering executive, said the top trim has 10 thrusters fed by 600 liters of compressed air, and Fox News reports that refilling the tank "currently takes approximately six to seven hours." Jalopnik says the thrusters fire in short bursts, so the car hops more than it flies.
What specs has Tesla claimed for the new Roadster?
Three trims, each with a different job. TechCrunch calls Performance "road ready," Thrust "race ready" and Rocket "air ready." Tesla's range and top-speed figures apply to all of them: about 300 miles and more than 230 mph, according to TechCrunch. Jalopnik adds a claim of more than 2 g in corners.
| Trim | What it is | Claimed 0–60 mph | Price or reservation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Two seats, no thrusters, fan system for downforce | Under 1.6 s | $50,000 reservation |
| Thrust | Two seats, four rear thrusters, limited release | Under 0.9 s | $250,000 reservation |
| Rocket | One seat, 10 thrusters, invite only | Under 0.59 s | No price given |
The three Roadster trims, as reported after the Oct. 15, 2026 event. All figures are Tesla's claims.
Tesla's own page is more modest than the press reports. It says Thrust propels the car "from 0-60 in under 1 second" and describes Rocket as supporting "forward and upward acceleration as well as lateral rotational movement. So yes, it can fly." The screenshots show no range, price or delivery date. The Rocket card carries the note "Not approved for public road use," and a footnote says the trim "is not available in all regions."
The headline figure on stage was 0.81 seconds from 0 to 60 mph. Jalopnik reports that Tesla claimed it, that a recording showed about one second and that no timer was shown on screen, so it was not independently timed. Musk also said engineers eventually want to reach half the speed of sound, which Fox News puts at roughly 380 mph. Fox News calls that an aspiration, not something shown.
How much does the Tesla Roadster cost?
Tesla has not announced a price. TechCrunch and Jalopnik both report that Musk gave no base price, and Tesla's reservation screen shows none. The only figures are reservation amounts. For Performance, the screen shows $5,000 due today and $45,000 due within 10 days. Thrust needs $5,000 plus $245,000, according to Fox News. Rocket is "Invite Only" and has no listed price.
Tesla's own reservation terms, as reported by Not a Tesla App in September, say any estimated purchase price "is merely an estimate" and the real price will be set when order configurators open. For comparison, the 2017 car was announced at $200,000, with a $250,000 Founders Series, per Electrek.
What does a Roadster reservation actually give you?
A place in line, not a finished order. Tesla's screen labels the $5,000 payment "Fully refundable" and says "Reservations are not final until payment is received." It adds that a reservation is "subject to cancellation if payment is not completed within 10 days" and that "refunds for modifications will not be issued." Fox News reports that customers can get a full refund until they configure the car after an invitation, and that the money is not held in escrow and earns no interest. It also says Musk was unsure where Rocket's most extreme features would be legal.
Jalopnik adds one more gap: Tesla has not said what happens to the people who reserved a Roadster in 2017.
How does the 2026 Roadster differ from the 2017 one?
It is a different car on paper. The 2017 prototype had four seats, a claimed 620-mile range and a claimed 1.9-second 0–60 time, per Electrek. Jalopnik describes the 2026 design as completely new, two seats, with active aero and inspiration from the F-35 and SR-71.
| Nov. 2017 | Oct. 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | Four | Two (Rocket: one) |
| Range | About 620 miles | About 300 miles |
| 0–60 mph | 1.9 s | Under 1.6 s (Performance); 0.81 s claimed for the demo car |
| Top speed | Above 250 mph | Above 230 mph |
| Price | $200,000 base | Not announced |
| Production | 2020 | 2028 (target) |
What Tesla promised in 2017 against what it claims in 2026.
The 2017 top speed comes from reporting on the unveiling collected by Wikipedia. The 2026 range is lower, and the 2026 trims add something the 2017 car never had: the ability to leave the ground for a moment.
What should you watch for next?
Three things would turn this from a show into a product: a published price, a configurator and an independently timed 0–60 run. Until then, treat each number as Tesla's claim. A clip of a car doing something impossible is a good reason to run the eight checks in our guide to spotting a fake gadget video, though this demo was livestreamed and reported by several outlets.
If you want something that flies today, the jet suit is bookable, and air taxis are in certification. Floating boards are in our real hoverboard guide. Tesla's other long-promised product, the Optimus robot, is covered in our guide to humanoid home robots.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Tesla Roadster release date?
Elon Musk said on October 15, 2026 that Tesla will build the Roadster in 2028. Tesla's reservation terms, as quoted by Fox News, say it cannot guarantee when a vehicle will be delivered, or whether it will be delivered at all. In 2017, Tesla promised 2020.
How much does the Tesla Roadster cost?
Tesla has not announced a price. Reservations are $50,000 for the Performance trim and $250,000 for Thrust; Rocket is invite only with no price given. The 2017 announcement listed $200,000 for the base car.
How fast is the new Tesla Roadster?
Tesla claims 0–60 mph in 0.81 seconds for the demo car and above 230 mph for the trims. Reports list under 1.6 seconds for Performance, under 0.9 for Thrust and under 0.59 for Rocket. Jalopnik says the 0.81-second time was not independently timed.
Can the Tesla Roadster really fly?
Not in the way a plane does. In the October 15 demo, the car used compressed-gas thrusters to jump over a row of Tesla vehicles and rotate in the air. Jalopnik says the thrusters fire in short bursts, so the car hops more than it flies, and nobody was inside.
What is the Tesla Roadster Rocket trim?
A one-seat, invite-only version with cold-gas thrusters around the car. Tesla's page says it supports forward and upward acceleration and rotation, "So yes, it can fly," and carries the note "Not approved for public road use." Tesla has not listed a price for it.
Is a Tesla Roadster reservation refundable?
Tesla's reservation screen labels the $5,000 payment "Fully refundable," says reservations are not final until payment is received and says refunds for modifications will not be issued. Fox News adds that a full refund is available until you configure the car after an invitation, with the money not held in escrow. Check Tesla's current terms before paying.
What happened to the 2017 Roadster reservations?
Tesla has not said, according to Jalopnik. The 2017 reservations were $50,000, with a $250,000 Founders Series tier.
Sources
- Tesla: Roadster page and reservation screen (read from screenshots, Oct. 24, 2026)
- TechCrunch: Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style (Oct. 15, 2026)
- Jalopnik: Tesla Roadster re-reveal, new design and production plans (Oct. 15, 2026)
- Fox News: Tesla Roadster flies, flips and hits 60 mph in a flash (Oct. 18, 2026)
- Electrek: Tesla sets Roadster event for Thursday after nearly 9 years of delays (Oct. 13, 2026)
- Electrek: Tesla delays Roadster demo to April 1, production to 2027-28 (Nov. 6, 2025)
- Not a Tesla App: Tesla reopens Roadster reservations (Sept. 19, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Tesla Roadster (second generation) (read Oct. 24, 2026)
Founder and editor, Novaverum
I write Novaverum to separate the technology you can really buy from the demos, concepts and viral fakes, starting from what the companies, regulators and engineers publish. Every article lists its sources at the end.
