Tesla to Reveal Redesigned Roadster After Nine-Year Wait

Tesla is gearing up to launch its revamped Roadster this Thursday, nearly nine years after the company first showcased a next-generation model of its electric sports car. Back in 2017, Tesla introduced a prototype of the $200,000 Roadster and announced plans for deliveries to start in 2020. While the pricing remains unchanged, prospective buyers are required to place a reservation of $50,000.

Interestingly, CEO Elon Musk has mentioned that the Roadster’s role in Tesla’s overall finances is minimal. In 2023, he referred to it as a “small potato situation” that wouldn’t significantly influence the company’s financial landscape.

Though the Roadster may not contribute much to Tesla’s financial portfolio, high-end sports cars like it can act as a showcase for the automaker’s cutting-edge technologies.

Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein pointed out last month that Tesla currently lacks a “halo car”—a luxury model aimed at demonstrating its best engineering. He believes the new Roadster will fill that void.

Musk initially claimed that the next-generation Roadster would offer a remarkable range of 620 miles on a single charge. However, he recently noted a redesign in a post on X, where he emphasized that the model would accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than a second. Interestingly, he mentioned this feature as the “least interesting part” of the vehicle, hinting that it is a collaborative effort between Tesla and SpaceX, the aerospace company he also heads.

Goldstein anticipates that Tesla will likely sell around 2,000 Roadsters annually, which is a small percentage of the 1.6 million vehicles the company sold last year. The original Roadster debuted in 2008 and remained on the market until 2012. It laid the groundwork for Tesla’s growth, leading to the development of its Model Y and Model X SUVs, as well as the Model S and Model 3 sedans.

The upcoming Roadster reveal occurs alongside Tesla’s pivot towards artificial intelligence to enhance self-driving technologies and robotics. Moreover, Tesla recently halted sales of the Model S and Model X to allocate resources for producing its Optimus humanoid robots. They’ve also introduced the Cybercab, a self-driving two-seater that eliminates traditional manual controls.

The unveiling of the next-gen Roadster is set for 8:55 p.m. ET on Thursday at a SpaceX test facility located in McGregor, Texas.