Following the reveal of the Tesla Semi way back in November 2017, Elon Musk, in typical Tesla fashion, pulled out a huge surprise: the all-new Roadster. Positioned as the comeback of Tesla's original car, this new Tesla Roadster looks very different and should take electric performance to a new level.
UPDATE 6-17-2024: Elon Musk has again stated that the upcoming Roadster will fly. Here's the post on X:
That is, if it happens. Right now, that's a big if. We're now seven years off that car's debut and with Tesla's newfound focus on robotaxis and autonomy, we're not exactly sitting around waiting with baited breath for the rebooted Roadster to arrive.
But it's fun to dream. And on paper, at least, the new Roadster's performance will blow your mind—which makes sense, given that it's basically an electric hypercar. Let's jump right into the numbers.
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Initial Claimed Specs Announced In 2017
- 7,376 pound-feet of torque (alleged, but dubious)
- 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds (with optional and also dubious SpaceX thrusters)
- 0-100 mph in 4.2 seconds
- Quarter mile in 8.8 seconds, which beats every other production car.
- 250+ mph top speed
Clearly, there are a lot of questions about those claims, including what kind of tires can even handle speeds so far north of 200 mph.
Elon Musk's Tweets And Comments On New Specs
In 2019, Musk said the sports car would be available with 10 rocket thrusters that would "dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking, and cornering. Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly." according to the company boss. In 2021, Musk said the car would hit 60 mph in 1.1 seconds with the optional rockets.
During a 2021 episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Musk stated:
"I thought maybe we could make it hover, but not too high. So maybe it could hover, like, a meter above the ground, or something. So, if you plummet, you blow out the suspension, but you’re not going to die."
More recently, Musk promised a 0 to 60 mph time of under one second:
And even more recently, Musk posted this:
Powertrain, Battery & Interior
The new Roadster is said to use three electric motors—one in the front and two in the back—giving it all-wheel drive capability. A 200-kilowatt-hour battery is claimed, as is an alleged range of 620 miles, which would be world-beating if it's true.
True to its name, you can remove the roof. For added practicality, it'll seat four people, provided the rear seat occupants are of the smaller size. The interior is typical of Tesla in that it's very minimalistic.
Gallery: Tesla Roadster LIVE
Range
Initially, Tesla claimed a bombastic range of some 620 miles for the new Roadster. This seemed almost out-of-this-world. However, Elon Musk later commented that the target range for the Roadster is above 1,000 kilometers, so the 620-mile figure is still the goal.
With that sort of range, the next-gen Roadster would be leaps and bounds ahead of any other electric car out there. The next closest is the Lucid Air, with one version capable of going 500 miles on a charge.
| Quick Specs | 2025 Tesla Roadster |
| Battery | 200.0-Kilowatt-Hours (est.) |
| Motors | Three (est.) |
| Output | 1,000 Horsepower / 758 Pound-Feet (est.) |
| 0-60 MPH | Under 1.0 Second (est.) |
| Price | $200,000 (est.) |
Price
The base price was listed at $200,000. Additionally, 1,000 people had the chance to order a Founders Series car, which costs a full $250,000, right up front. Pricing is no longer listed on Tesla's website but you can reserve one by clicking here. Reservation details are posted in the image below.
Production Volume
Tesla will reportedly keep the numbers on the low side on the production front.
In a Ride The Lightning podcast that revealed pricing for the Tesla pickup truck, Elon Musk spoke at length about the upcoming Tesla Roadster. First off, Musk says production will likely be capped at 10,000 per year.
According to Musk, no car out there today will be able to match the Roadster. He says this applies to all performance aspects, including on-track driving.
According to Musk, Roadster development occurs offsite in a nondescript building for secrecy. This "Tesla Skunkworks" has a basement full of different powertrains to try/test out on the Roadster.
Gallery: 2020 Tesla Roadster
When Will The Roadster Enter Production?
The all-new Roadster would rock the electric car world, there's no doubt about that. However, when will this world-rocking EV hit the market? First announced in 2017 and initially planned for production a year or so later, the Roadster is way behind schedule.
The latest word from Tesla and Musk is that the Roadster will likely be in production sometime in 2025. However, we still have doubts surrounding this revised schedule.
Is The Next Tesla Roadster For Real?
This is hard to say. Clearly, the design is excellent; there's no doubt about that. And the world could certainly use more electric sports cars.
But given how long it's been since the concept was unveiled; Tesla's own penchant for product delays; the months of turmoil the company has had in 2024 alone; the fact that the Cybertruck came in more expensive and with less impressive specs than when it was announced; and the utterly bombastic claims, including the so-called SpaceX thrusters; we advise you to take a "wait and see" approach to this one.
