Tesla’s Roadster is finally nearing production after years of delays

Tesla’s next-generation Roadster is set to make its production-ready debut at an event in Waco, Texas, on Thursday, nearly a decade after Elon Musk announced plans for the car. Its arrival comes as electric-vehicle sales slow in the US and automakers scale back plans.

Musk has said the Roadster will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 2 seconds, exceed 250 mph, and offer an optional “SpaceX package” with cold-gas thrusters that would let it “fly a little.” Tesla has not yet delivered the car, and the source describes its production plans as the arrival of “some version” of the next-generation Roadster.

The long wait has led some reservation holders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and YouTuber Marques Brownlee, to cancel their orders. Tesla’s Model S Plaid, released in 2021, was claimed to reach 0 to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds, excluding a 1-foot rollout; independent tests later confirmed that figure.

The Roadster also faces a difficult market. The source says electric hypercars such as the Rimac Nevera, Pininfarina Battista, and Lotus Evija have faced low sales, production delays, and weak demand. Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac said the company struggled to sell its planned run of 150 Neveras, despite the model setting dozens of world records with more than 1,900 horsepower.

Tesla first revealed the Roadster in 2017. The source notes that the Cybercab, Semi, and Roadster have all been shown again this year, and says the Cybertruck is the only new consumer vehicle Tesla has delivered in the last 5 years.