Tesla schedules Roadster hypercar reveal for October 1 after nine years of delays

Official launch announcement

Tesla will officially unveil the redesigned second-generation Roadster on 1 October 2026, ending nearly nine years of development delays. The electric vehicle maker published a teaser image on its official X account on 12 September 2026 showing the rear silhouette of a low, wide sports vehicle illuminated by vertical launchpad lights with the caption "Go for launch" and the date "10.01". Chief executive Elon Musk confirmed the presentation date shortly after the post.

New Tesla Roadster unveil on October 1.

The presentation will take place near Waco, Texas, at the SpaceX testing facility in McGregor, located approximately 90 minutes north of Tesla headquarters in Austin. The company previously intended to reveal the updated design in August 2026 before shifting the schedule to early autumn.

Evolution from sports car to hypercar

Tesla first showcased a prototype of the second-generation Roadster in November 2017, promising deliveries would begin in 2020. At that time, Tesla opened reservations for a 50,000 dollar deposit toward a 200,000 dollar base price, alongside a 250,000 dollar Founders Edition. The original specification targets included a range of roughly 1,000 kilometres, acceleration from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in approximately two seconds, and a top speed exceeding 400 kilometres per hour.

The program encountered years of technical revisions and missed milestones. Tesla abandoned an interim plan to build the vehicle on components shared with the Model S Plaid. Instead, engineering teams redesigned the car into a carbon-fiber hypercar with dedicated structural components. Musk previously noted during an appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast that the production vehicle is substantially different from the 2017 prototype.

SpaceX cold gas thrusters

The October presentation is expected to feature a demonstration of an optional performance package developed in partnership with SpaceX. According to reporting from The Information, Tesla developed a limited-production variant fitted with cold gas thrusters. These thrusters are designed to improve cornering dynamics, boost acceleration, and potentially lift the vehicle off the ground for brief intervals.

Musk first suggested incorporating aerospace hardware into the vehicle in 2018. Because cold gas thrusters discharge high-pressure gas, models equipped with the system will not be certified for use on public roads. While Musk has positioned the rest of Tesla's future lineup around autonomous driving, he identified the next Roadster as an exception designed specifically for driver control.

Parallel vehicle programs

The Roadster announcement arrives as Tesla attempts to accelerate several delayed hardware initiatives. During the first week of September 2026, Tesla began operating passenger rides in restricted zones of Austin, Texas, using the Cybercab, a two-seat autonomous vehicle built without a steering wheel or pedals. Musk views the Cybercab as central to establishing market dominance in autonomous transport.

Tesla is also preparing to introduce its Semi commercial electric truck to European markets, another vehicle first shown in 2017 that experienced prolonged production delays. Musk previously indicated that commercial deliveries of the Roadster typically follow 12 to 18 months after an official product unveiling.