Tesla to unveil new Roadster on 1 October, nine years after the first prototype
Tesla has confirmed the date of the long-delayed Roadster’s next unveiling. The electric supercar will return to the public spotlight on 1 October, nearly nine years after Elon Musk showed its first prototype and promised production would begin in 2020.
Tesla posted a teaser on social media bearing the words “Go for launch” and the date 10/01. Elon Musk subsequently confirmed that it concerns the unveiling of the new Roadster. The event will take place in Waco, Texas.
SpaceX technology could finally be shown for real
The biggest question concerns the long-promised SpaceX Package. Musk has spoken of compressed-air-powered thrusters that are expected to improve acceleration, braking and cornering speed, and allegedly even allow the car to lift off the ground briefly.
Tesla’s teaser deliberately uses rocket-launch imagery. However, the company has not confirmed exactly what will be demonstrated on 1 October, so the promise of a flying Roadster should for now be taken as Musk’s claim, rather than as a technical specification of the production car.
Tesla originally promised the Roadster 0–97 km/h acceleration in 1.9 seconds, a top speed of more than 400 km/h and a range of around 1,000 km. However, those figures date from the 2017 prototype, and Tesla has since said that the car’s design and targets have changed substantially.
The competition has moved ahead in nine years
In 2017, Tesla’s promised figures seemed almost like science fiction. Not in 2026.
The electric hypercar segment is now home to the Rimac Nevera and its developments, while Chinese manufacturers have brought electric cars with more than 1,000 kW to market. The Roadster can therefore no longer rely solely on a four-digit power output or sub-two-second acceleration.
On 1 October, Tesla must show something its competitors have not already done. This is precisely why SpaceX technology has become so important for the Roadster. Nine years after the prototype’s unveiling, an ordinary very fast electric supercar is no longer revolutionary.
An unveiling does not yet mean production
The most important question mark remains over series production. Under the original plan, the Roadster was supposed to reach customers as early as 2020, but Tesla has repeatedly postponed the deadline.
As recently as August 2026, the car’s new unveiling was said to be taking place that same month, but that deadline also passed. Now, at least, the 1 October event has a specific date, and a countdown to it is running on Tesla’s Roadster website.
The start of production is not as certain, however. Musk has previously pointed to 2027 or 2028, and Tesla has not currently released a final production schedule.
So, after nine years, the Roadster is still not a done deal. On 1 October, Tesla will finally be able to show whether it has become a genuine production car or simply an even more impressive prototype.
