Tesla will finally pull the cover off its next-generation Roadster on October 1, nearly nine years after the electric sports car was first shown to the public, Chief Executive Elon Musk confirmed over the weekend.
The automaker posted "Go for launch" on its official X account Saturday, borrowing a phrase used in mission control before a rocket liftoff, alongside a graphic showing the date 10.01. The teaser image also appears to hint at the long-promised cold-gas thrusters, with white plumes visible behind the vehicle. Musk later replied to the post with "New Tesla Roadster Unveil 10.01."
A countdown clock targeting the same date has appeared on the Roadster order page, which had gone largely untouched for years. Invitations sent to reservation holders indicate the event will begin at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time and that attendees must be 21 or older, with RSVPs due by midnight on September 16.
The venue is expected to be SpaceX's rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas, roughly 90 minutes north of Tesla's Austin headquarters by car. The location choice has only intensified speculation that the event will showcase technology drawn from Musk's aerospace venture.
Tesla first introduced the second-generation Roadster in November 2017 as a surprise finale to its Semi truck unveiling. At the time, the company promised a 0-to-60 mph time under 2 seconds, a top speed above 250 mph, and roughly 620 miles of range on a single charge. The base price was set at $200,000, with a limited Founders Series priced at $250,000.
Deliveries were initially targeted for 2020, but the timeline has shifted at least eight times, with production goals pushed to 2022, 2023, 2024, and later to the 2025-2026 window. Tesla's most recent quarterly update still listed the Roadster as being in the design and development phase.
Musk acknowledged last November that customer deliveries would likely not begin until 2027 or 2028. Even after the October event, production is not expected to start for another 12 to 18 months, according to his previous remarks.
The project has also undergone a fundamental redesign. The Information reported in August that Tesla had abandoned an earlier approach based on components from the Model S Plaid and instead developed the vehicle as an all-new carbon-fiber hypercar.
The delay even sparked a public exchange between Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who said last year that "7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait" after paying a $50,000 reservation fee. Musk insisted that Altman had received a refund.
The most attention-grabbing element of the planned reveal remains the optional cold-gas thruster package developed with SpaceX. Musk has said the thrusters would improve acceleration, braking, and cornering, and could even allow the car to briefly lift off the ground.
During Tesla's first-quarter earnings call in April, he described the upcoming demonstration as potentially "one of the most epic demos of all time."
The Information reported that the Roadster may be offered in two configurations, with the thruster-equipped limited edition priced anywhere from several hundred thousand dollars to potentially millions. That version may not be street-legal, leading some observers to characterize it as a technology showcase rather than a practical consumer product.
Musk has a history of blurring the line between Tesla and SpaceX marketing. In February 2018, he sent his personal cherry-red first-generation Roadster into space as the test payload for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, with millions watching the livestream. At the time, he said the new Roadster would feature a SpaceX options package with roughly 10 small rocket thrusters arranged around the vehicle, adding that it might even make the car fly.
The Roadster event is one of several high-profile launches Tesla has scheduled for the coming weeks. The company plans a Semi truck launch event on September 24, while SpaceX's Starship is targeting its 14th test flight around September 18, according to airspace notices filed with the Federal Aviation Administration. SpaceX has not formally confirmed that date.
The Starship mission is expected to attempt to place the upper stage into low Earth orbit and deploy next-generation Starlink V3 satellites.
Tesla has also begun offering driverless rides in its Cybercab, a two-seat vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, in limited areas of Austin. Musk has positioned the Cybercab as central to the company's autonomous-vehicle ambitions.
The October 1 event arrives as some market participants view the flurry of activity as a signal that Tesla and SpaceX could be moving toward a merger, a possibility that has circulated for years given Musk's overlapping leadership of both companies. A shareholder vote on such a combination has been the subject of speculation.
Tesla shares closed with a market capitalization of approximately $1.44 trillion. The stock has traded between $297.38 and $498.83 over the past 52 weeks and is down 18.74% year-to-date.
The Roadster reveal gives Tesla another opportunity to broaden investor attention beyond its core electric-vehicle lineup and reinforce its narrative around advanced propulsion, autonomous driving, and cross-company technology integration.
Whether the event ultimately delivers a production-ready sports car or a spectacular technology demonstration, it marks the culmination of one of the longest-running product sagas in Tesla's history.
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