Tesla has postponed the debut of its long-awaited Roadster supercar for a second time, blaming severe weather at the planned outdoor launch venue in Texas. The event, which had been scheduled for 1 October, will now take place on 15 October, the company confirmed in a post on X.
The announcement came just two days before the wraps were due to come off, marking another setback for a model that has been repeatedly delayed since its surprise concept debut in 2017. Tesla said it had been tracking conditions closely with local meteorologists but had made the difficult decision to reschedule because the event can only be held outdoors.
The reveal was set to take place in Waco, Texas, where speculation had suggested the eponymous Lake Waco could serve as the venue for the Roadster's promised ability to hover or float across bodies of water. Confirmation that the launch must be held outdoors appears to support that speculation, though Tesla has not confirmed whether it will stick with the original location for the rescheduled event, nor has it indicated the size or precise nature of the gathering.
The second-generation Roadster, the follow-up to Tesla's first car, was originally planned as a drop-top 2+2 with a 0-60mph time of 1.9 seconds, a top speed of more than 250mph and a 620-mile range. Those figures outpunched all production electric vehicles at its 2017 debut and would still outclass most today. Pricing was previously put at around £150,000 for the standard car and £185,000 for the top-spec Founders Series variant.
Since the concept's debut at the launch event for the Tesla Semi lorry, the Roadster has been repeatedly delayed. Original 2020 launch plans were pushed back to 2022, then 2023 and 2024, before a long period of silence as the company shifted focus to other projects, including the self-driving Cybercab, which is now in commercial service.
The earlier announcement for the 1 October reveal came with the strapline «Go for launch», a slogan that references the optional rocket thrusters that Elon Musk previously said would allow the Roadster to hit 60mph from rest in just 1.1 seconds, almost twice as quick as a Formula 1 car. The sole teaser image published by Tesla gives little away beyond the exhaust plumes of the promised thrusters, claimed to have been developed by Musk-owned SpaceX. Visible details including a full-width rear light bar and a huge wing appear to depart dramatically from the concept, which was a subtle and minimalist coupé derived from the Model S saloon.
Tesla had invited Roadster deposit holders on a non-transferrable basis to the event, but has never said how many orders it has taken for the car. The two-week delay means the Roadster will now break cover more than a week after the Jaguar Type 01, a similarly positioned and equally anticipated flagship electric vehicle that it was initially due to beat to the stage.
Tesla did not reference the Jaguar's debut when it announced it would unwrap the Roadster in the same month, but Musk has been a vocal critic of Jaguar's relaunch, asking the British brand on X «Do you sell cars?» in response to its 2024 «Copy Nothing» brand campaign. Neither he nor Tesla have indicated that the original 1 October date was chosen purposely to steal some of the British firm's limelight.