Tesla to Reveal Second-Gen Roadster on October 1, 2026

Tesla has announced it will unveil the second-generation Roadster on 1 October 2026, posting on the social network X the phrase "Go for launch" alongside an image that shows the date 10.01. The model was first introduced as a concept in November 2017 but its launch has been delayed repeatedly since then.

Tesla says the reveal is scheduled for 1 October, but the company has indicated that production would not begin immediately and may start 12 to 18 months after the official introduction.

Cold gas thrusters and the SpaceX connection

The image accompanying Tesla's X post also appears to reference cold gas thrusters developed by SpaceX, another company led by Elon Musk. Tesla has previously said custom thrusters could allow the Roadster to "fly," an assertion the company has made but not demonstrated. Cold gas thrusters use compressed gas to provide short bursts of thrust; that technical description is separate from any claimed or tested capability for a production car.

The Roadster project has a long public history. Tesla first unveiled the second-generation Roadster concept in November 2017, and the car's introduction has been postponed multiple times since that announcement. Last year the vehicle even featured in a public exchange between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI.

Altman stated he paid a $50,000 reservation deposit for a Roadster and that waiting more than seven years had been frustrating. Musk responded that Altman's payment had been returned. Those statements reflect the dispute as presented on social media.

Tesla appears to have abandoned the original Roadster design and is preparing a completely new design that has not yet been shown. Musk has previously warned that even after a formal reveal, production of the Roadster would likely begin 12 to 18 months later, so the unveiling should not be taken as an immediate start of manufacturing.