Tesla Roadster launch put back to 15 October due to bad weather
The all-electric supercar promises to shatter records beyond ‘longest development time’
Once again, the Tesla Roadster’s debut has been delayed, this time due to bad weather surrounding its launch event in Texas.
A few weeks prior to the latest delay, Tesla had officially announced the Roadster would be ‘Go for launch’ on 1 October, nine years after the unfathomably-fast electric supercar was announced and six years after it was meant to arrive.
Tesla’s famously eccentric CEO, Elon Musk, had only made a brief reply to his company’s original social media post, confirming; "New Tesla Roadster Unveil 10.01". Now, thanks to the severe forecast, the launch event will be pushed back two weeks to 15 October.
In a post made on X (formerly Twitter), Tesla said, “We've been tracking the weather closely with local meteorologists, but given the severe conditions predicted and because this event can only be held outdoors, we've made the difficult decision to reschedule.”
The event only being able to be “held outdoors” suggests a dynamic display of the Roadster’s abilities was on the cards, though we’ll find out for sure later in the month.
The latest setback comes just a few weeks after Tesla opened up a reservation list for customers willing to put down a deposit of $5,000 followed up within 10 days by a remaining balance of $45,000.
Tesla has recently attempted to create some buzz ahead of the Roadster’s proposed unveiling. A prototype of the Roadster has been seen around for much of its development period, but Tesla distributed a teaser image appearing to show a truly gigantic spoiler that would make a GT3 race car’s look like a tea tray, a full-width rear light bar and four plumes that almost look like jet thrusters…
We’re not kidding about the thruster idea. Reuters is reporting that a limited edition version of the new Roadster will feature cold-gas thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX, Musk’s spacecraft company. These are a type of rocket engine that create thrust without any combustion by releasing highly pressurised gas through a nozzle.
This idea sounds so utterly ridiculous we can’t believe we’re discussing it, however Ferrari has filed patents for its own gas-thruster system that was designed to aid performance. So maybe the Roadster will be just the first car to use such technology, although it would mean the car would not be street legal.
Musk teased the new Tesla Roadster would be available with a "SpaceX rocket thruster option package" back in 2021 and allow it to do 0-60mph in a ludicrous 1.1 seconds – twice as quick as a Formula One car. "It will be safe, but very intense," said Musk on social media. "Probably not wise for those with a medical condition – same as a hardcore roller coaster."
Reuters has also reported that instead of using the platform and other key components from the Tesla Model S Plaid, as was originally planned, the new Roadster will be a full-on, bespoke carbon-fibre hypercar, more akin to the Rimac Nevera or Lotus Evija. We guess we’ll find out on 15 October.
How fast is the new Tesla Roadster?
Musk has previously promised that the new Roadster will set new benchmarks for electric car range and performance. Tesla has already shown the potential of its latest battery and powertrain technology with its 1,006bhp Model S Plaid super-saloon. That can do 0-60mph in less than two seconds, hit a top speed of 200mph and cover more than 520 miles on a single charge.
However, that car was launched back in 2021, so we’re sure Tesla will have been able to push the boundaries of performance even further with the new Roadster. Especially if it’s powered by actual rocket science. Tesla’s own website used to feature the very bold claim that the new Roadster will be the “quickest car in the world”, although that has since disappeared.
The Model S Plaid featured a tri-motor powertrain, using two on the rear axle and another on the front. We wouldn’t be surprised if the new Roadster went with a similar configuration, however this is an all-new creation and Tesla is looking to set records or upstage other extremely powerful supercars, it may get a quad-motor set-up, the same as the Rimac.
How much range is it going to offer?
The new Roadster has been designed with more than outright speed in mind, however, Tesla previously claimed it would offer a maximum range of 620 miles, thanks to an enormous 200kWh battery. That claim also can’t be found on Tesla’s website anymore.
Exactly how Tesla will get 620 miles (or anywhere close to that figure) out of a performance-obsessed machine like the new Roadster is yet to be properly explained, although the company has outlined a planned shift from traditional cylindrical cells to a more energy-dense “shingle-lattice” design.
Tesla says this new type of battery can store more electricity, while retaining the same dimensions as the outgoing system – and, thanks to new silicon anodes rather than traditional graphite anodes, the cells should also be cheaper to produce.
Will it still be a proper convertible?
As suggested by its name, the new Tesla Roadster will absolutely have a convertible roof. However, rather than getting an electrically retractable hard-top, there’s going to be a manually removable glass panel for the middle of the supercar’s roof, which can be stowed in the car’s boot on sunny days.
Despite this focus on performance and range, Tesla was adamant that the new Roadster will be a practical means of transport. It was set to have a 2+2 seating layout – and, while Musk has conceded that “giant people” will struggle to fit in the rear, he boasted that there’ll be plenty of storage space in the car’s nose and tail. It will be interesting to see if practicality was sacrificed for the sake of the thrusters or any other wild ideas.
How much will it cost?
Tesla started taking reservations for the new Roadster as soon as it announced the project back in 2017, with prices for the entry-level model starting at 200,000 dollars (close to £150,000 at the current exchange rate) and customers asked to plonk down a 50,000 dollar deposit (just under £37,000 today).
Tesla also announced a special-edition Founders Series model that would be limited to just 1,000 examples and would cost 250,000 dollars (about £185,000 now), all of which have to be paid upfront for customers’ to secure their build slot.
However, with inflation and all the engineering that will have gone into the new Tesla Roadster over its nearly decade-long development - especially the thrusters, if they are indeed real - it may be a lot, lot pricier than originally promised. For context, a Rimac Nevera costs close to £2 million.
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