Tesla may finally unveil the production-ready version of its second-generation Roadster on October 1, nearly nine years after the original prototype appeared. The event could also showcase the project’s most unusual feature: a reported SpaceX-developed cold-gas propulsion system capable of dramatically improving performance and potentially even lifting the vehicle off the ground.
Recent reports suggest the car shown in October may have little in common with the 2017 concept. Tesla has reportedly abandoned the original design in favor of an entirely new carbon-fiber hypercar. This would align with Elon Musk’s repeated promises that the Roadster would be able to “fly,” although neither the final design nor the propulsion system has been officially detailed.
Tesla’s timetable still deserves plenty of skepticism. The second-generation Roadster was introduced in November 2017, with deliveries initially expected in 2020. Musk later moved the production-model unveiling to April 1, 2026, but that date passed without an event, followed by additional rumored launch windows during the summer. At this point, delays feel like part of the Roadster’s standard equipment.
An October 1 unveiling would not mean that customer deliveries are close. Musk previously said production would begin around 12 to 18 months after the final presentation. If that estimate still stands, manufacturing could start between autumn 2027 and spring 2028.
For customers who have been waiting since 2017, the difference between “unveiling” and “production” may be the most important specification in the entire Roadster story. Tesla could finally show an extraordinary SpaceX-inspired hypercar in October, but it will still need to prove that the vehicle can move from the stage to the assembly line.
via techcrunch