Elon Musk has provided a tantalizing update on the design and production of the second-generation Tesla Roadster, promising “mind-blowing” improvements for the electric sports car. After years of delays, Musk also revealed the company is targeting to begin deliveries of the Roadster next year.
Tesla first unveiled the second-generation Roadster all the way back in 2017. At the time of its unveiling Tesla was targeting some impressive specifications, including a 0-60 mph acceleration time of just 1.9 seconds and a top speed of 250 mph, all powered by a 200 kWh battery pack, providing a range of 620 miles, or 1,000km.
All of this wasn’t going to come cheap, with Founders Series Roadsters coming with a C$322,000 CAD or US$250,000 USD price tag. Even with the high price tag, Founders Series reservations sold out.
As we all know, the Roadster has been put on the backburner with Tesla focusing on other priorities, like launching and ramping production of the Model 3 and Model Y. With all of the delays, Musk has upped the ante over the years, promising even more impressive specs and features, like a a SpaceX thruster package that would turn the Roadster into a “part rocket” with a 0-60mph time of just 1.1 seconds.
As of the most recent status update on the Roadster, which came at the Annual Shareholder meeting at Giga Texas in May of last year, Musk said the company would “hopefully” start production in 2024. According to Musk, that timeline has shifted again (and hopefully for the last time), now to 2025, but with even more impressive specs.
In a series of posts on X on Tuesday night, Musk said they have “radically increased the design goals for the new Tesla Roadster.” Musk provided a few details, saying it will still be a collaboration with SpaceX, suggesting the thruster package, or some variation of it, is still part of the design.
Whatever changes they have made have had an effect on the 0-60mph time, which Musk says will now be under 1 second. If that wasn’t enough, Musk said the mind-bending acceleration will be “the least interesting part” of the Roadster, also posting the “looking eyes” emoji when asked if it will “fly a little.”
We won’t have to wait too long to see all of these changes. Musk says the team has finalized the production design, and the new Roadster will be unveiled at the end of the year, with the goal to ship and deliver the first Roadsters next year.
Tesla/SpaceX collab
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2024
I think it has a shot at being the most mind-blowing product demo of all time
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2024
