Grab a pencil, not a pen: the Tesla Roadster unveil is finally set for Thursday, nearly nine years after Elon Musk first promised the car. The EV world it lands in looks nothing like the one he teased in 2017.
Here is the short version. Tesla will livestream the second-generation Roadster reveal on Oct. 15 at 7:55 p.m. CST, from an outdoor event in Waco, Texas. Tesla’s own post said it will stream “live this Thursday at 7:55pm CST,” as reported by Yahoo Finance. Tesla confirmed the stream for X. Other platforms are not yet confirmed.
How the Tesla Roadster Got Nine Years Late
Tesla first showed the car as a concept in November 2017, next to the Semi. The claims were wild: 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, a top speed above 250 mph and a 620-mile range. Musk targeted production for 2020.
That date slipped to 2021, then 2022, 2023 and 2024, according to Chasing Cars. At the November 2025 shareholder meeting, Musk set the unveil for April 1, 2026. He joked that April Fools’ Day “affords some deniability.” (Well, he did say it.) The date then kept sliding through 2026, Electrek reports, before landing on Oct. 1 and finally Oct. 15. If you want the full backstory, our earlier piece on the October 1 reveal that never happened covers the first announcement.
That is a lot of calendar pages for one car.
The Weather Delay, and What to Expect From the New Roadster
Tesla bumped the Oct. 1 event on Sept. 28. Tesla said it had been tracking the weather with local meteorologists. Given the severe conditions predicted, and because the event “can only be held outdoors,” it chose to reschedule, TechCrunch reported. Musk blamed high winds. Sources describe the cause differently, so we will stick with what Tesla and Musk said themselves.
The outdoor setup matters because the car should show some form of flight using SpaceX cold gas thrusters. Electrek reports that Tesla has scaled the demo back from “flying” to a short hover. The demo car is reportedly remote-operated and not street-legal. Tesla has not confirmed any of that.
Final specs, price and a production date are also unconfirmed. For more on the speculation, see our look at the FAA airspace restriction and reservation chatter.
Here’s the Thing: The EV Market Moved On
The 2017 pitch was a jaw-dropper because nobody else was close. Now, according to Autonext, Rimac has already beaten the 2017 acceleration claim. Rivals like the BYD Yangwang U9 and Ferrari Luce are in the conversation.
So the question is no longer whether an electric car can be absurdly quick. It is whether this Tesla electric hypercar still has a trick the others don’t.
Musk’s formula puts production 12 to 18 months after the unveil, which points to 2027 or 2028. Tesla’s own latest quarterly update still lists the Roadster as in “design development.” Founders Series customers, meanwhile, put down $250,000 deposits, TechCrunch noted. That is a long time to wait for a car. It also sits alongside a bigger lineup, which we mapped in Tesla’s wild 2027 plans.
The last wrinkle is the sky. The event is outdoor only, so another weather postponement is possible. After nine years, Tesla fans know the drill.
The real question after Thursday night: does the car fly, or does the date?
