Tesla has set 1 October for the Roadster unveiling, with a countdown clock on its Roadster webpage confirming the date. Musk, Tesla's chief executive, responded to the announcement on X by writing: 'New Tesla Roadster Unveil 10.01.'
The event is expected to take place at SpaceX's rocket test facility in McGregor, Texas, near Waco. It is scheduled for 8.30pm Eastern time, or 8.30am on 2 October for Malaysia. Tesla said the event will be held in Waco, Texas, around 90 minutes north of its Austin headquarters. RSVPs were required by 16 September, and entry is limited to guests aged 21 and above.
The vehicle planned for the Texas presentation is a limited-edition model fitted with SpaceX thrusters. Tesla does not intend for that version to be road-legal. It may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, although Tesla has yet to set a definitive price for the Roadster.
The thrusters are expected to make enough noise to risk hearing injury. The car will therefore operate without anyone inside, while spectators stand several hundred yards away. Musk has told staff that the demonstration will be difficult to carry out and could go wrong. He has called it 'the most epic ever.'
The project has repeatedly moved beyond earlier schedules. Tesla debuted the next-generation Roadster in November 2017 and expected customers to begin receiving vehicles in 2020. Last November, Musk said the new Roadster would be revealed on 1 April 2026. That presentation has now been moved to 1 October.
Tesla also abandoned an earlier design based on Model S Plaid underpinnings. The company shifted to an entirely new carbon fiber architecture for the Roadster. In February 2024, Musk said the design goals had been 'radically increased'. He also referred to a sub-one-second 0-96 km/h time, calling it 'the least interesting part.'
Last November, Musk was guiding for production in 2027 or 2028. His more recent indication that manufacturing remains at least a year to a year and a half away leaves the production timetable unresolved. Tesla has not announced a production volume, a manufacturing location or confirmed delivery dates for the road-legal version.
The company has also provided no official specifications for a SpaceX package on the production model. It remains unclear what else will be shown on 1 October, including whether earlier plans for a flight-based demonstration involving a launch ramp, inversion and sustained flight remain under consideration.
Tesla is accepting refundable Roadster reservations for $50,000. The October event will be a presentation rather than a delivery launch. Its main purpose appears to be demonstrating the limited-edition thruster-equipped vehicle, while the specifications and timing of the consumer model remain unconfirmed.
The unveiling comes as Tesla also introduces its Cybercab autonomous vehicle in limited areas. For the Roadster, however, the immediate test will be whether Tesla can carry out the planned display safely and provide clearer information on the car that customers may eventually receive.
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