The world’s largest electric carmaker, Tesla, announced the second-generation Roadster in November 2017; the model’s market launch has been postponed repeatedly. In a statement posted on its X account, the company said it would unveil the car on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The post also alluded to cold-gas thrusters planned with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which are expected to be part of an optional package. These thrusters are claimed to give the vehicle high-speed capabilities. According to The Information, Tesla shelved the 2017 design and developed a new model. Musk said mass production could begin 12 to 18 months after the unveiling. The delay had also come under scrutiny after Sam Altman criticized having to wait 7.5 years following a $50,000 reservation; Musk said the fee had been refunded. The SpaceX integration and performance will be announced at the event.
Why it matters
The announcement of the unveiling date separates two stages that have long been conflated for the Roadster: showing the vehicle to the public and beginning mass production are not on the same timeline. Tesla’s linking of the start of production to 12 to 18 months after the unveiling shows that, for those waiting after placing reservations, the process will not end with the unveiling. The information that the 2017 design was shelved means that previously shared expectations cannot be used as a direct benchmark for the new model. The technical scope of the SpaceX-linked thrusters, their impact on performance, and other details said to be announced at the event leave fundamental questions about the car’s final specifications and production process unanswered.
Background
Tesla is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 8 news stories mentioning the name in the past 90 days; the latest is dated September 13, 2026.