Tesla Roadster (second generation)

The Tesla Roadster (second generation) is an electric sports car from Tesla, Inc. First shown as a prototype in 2017, it was unveiled in near-production form on October 15, 2026, with a demonstration that Elon Musk presented as the car flying. Tesla says production will begin in 2028.

The new Roadster at the foot of the demonstration ramp, October 15, 2026. The four thruster nozzles are at the back. Image: © Tesla, Inc. (via @Tesla on X)

Background

Tesla's first car was also called the Roadster (see Tesla Roadster (first generation)). The new car shares the name but is a completely new design.

The second-generation Roadster first appeared on November 16, 2017, when a prototype was driven out of a semi-trailer at the end of the Tesla Semi event. Tesla then promised a 0–60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a range of 620 miles and a price of $200,000, with production in 2020. In June 2018 Musk added the idea of a "SpaceX option package" with rocket-style cold-gas thrusters (see Flight and the SpaceX package).

Years of delays

The production date slipped again and again: from 2020 to 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and finally 2027 or 2028. The unveiling itself was rescheduled several times through 2025 and 2026. See the full list in the Timeline.

The 2026 unveiling

Tesla held the event on the evening of October 15, 2026 at SpaceX's rocket test facility in McGregor, Texas. It had first been set for October 1 but was called off because of the weather, since the show could only be held outdoors.

In the main demonstration the car drove up a curved ramp, held itself upside down, launched off the end, flipped in the air and landed. Tesla's vice president of vehicle engineering, Lars Moravy, said a fan suction system under the car makes the upside-down part possible, and that the rest borrows SpaceX technology. A second demonstration had the car jump over a row of Tesla vehicles.

Musk said the car is "not necessarily a safety-optimized car" and described it as the Tesla that will stay manually driven the longest.

Versions

Tesla is taking reservations for three versions:

• Performance: $50,000 reservation
• Thrust: $250,000 reservation; adds rear cold-gas thrusters
• Rocket: by invitation only; adds more thrusters (reported as intended for off-road use)

No purchase prices were announced. See Specifications for performance claims.

Still unknown

• The final price of each version
• Whether the thruster versions will be street-legal
• Independent tests of the acceleration, top speed and range claims
• Whether production really starts in 2028