Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that the electric vehicle maker will unveil its long-delayed next-generation Roadster on October 1, nearly a decade after the company first showcased plans for a successor to its original sports car.
NEW DELHI — Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that the electric vehicle maker will unveil its long-delayed next-generation Roadster on October 1, nearly a decade after the company first showcased plans for a successor to its original sports car.
Tesla's official account on social media platform X posted “Go for launch” along with a graphic displaying October 1 as the date for the event. Musk, who also owns X, subsequently responded to the post, writing, “New Tesla Roadster Unveil 10.01.”
The announcement comes after years of delays surrounding the Roadster programme. Tesla first unveiled the next-generation model in 2017 and had initially said that deliveries would begin in 2020. However, the vehicle's development has repeatedly been pushed back.
The Information reported in August that Tesla was planning to unveil the redesigned Roadster as early as that month. The report also said the event could feature a demonstration of a limited-edition version equipped with cold-gas thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX.
The reported demonstration is expected to take place at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas, according to the report.
The Roadster project has also evolved significantly from Tesla's original plans. The vehicle is reportedly being developed as an all-new carbon-fibre hypercar after the company abandoned an earlier approach that would have used components based on the Model S Plaid.
The latest announcement comes as Tesla continues to expand its focus beyond conventional electric vehicles and towards autonomous driving. Last week, the company began offering limited rides in its two-seater Cybercab in Austin, Texas. The vehicle does not have a steering wheel or pedals and is designed around Tesla's vision for fully autonomous transportation.
Musk has described the Cybercab as a key part of his strategy to transform Tesla into a dominant player in driverless vehicles.
The Roadster, meanwhile, is expected to reinforce Tesla's performance credentials as the company seeks to bring its high-performance sports car back to the market after years of development delays.