Back in 2017, Tesla unveiled the first Roadster prototype and made some of the boldest promises the car industry had ever heard: 0–60 mph in under two seconds, a top speed of more than 250 mph, and over 600 miles of range. That was nearly nine years ago.
Since then, those promises have been followed by years of delays, making the Roadster one of Tesla’s most anticipated yet repeatedly postponed projects. Now, Tesla says the Roadster will finally make its official debut on October 1. The big question now is whether Tesla will actually stick to the October 1 date.
Tesla’s history of missed deadlines and delayed launches has left plenty of people sceptical. The company announced the reveal in a post on X with the caption “Go for launch.” Tesla’s website also now features a countdown to the event, alongside a teaser image showing what appears to be the car’s rear end floating in space.
For now, those are the clearest signs yet that Tesla is finally ready to show the new Roadster. Whether it actually arrives as promised is another question.
What Tesla Promised and What Happened Next
When the Roadster prototype debuted in 2017, Elon Musk said it would accelerate from 0–60 mph in 1.9 seconds, reach a top speed of 402 km/h (250+ mph), and deliver 998 km (620 miles) of driving range.
Tesla priced the base model at $200,000, while the limited Founders Series was set at $250,000. The company also began accepting $50,000 reservations, although it has never revealed how many Roadster reservations it received.
The ambitious promises were followed by years of delays. Tesla removed Roadster pricing from its website in December 2021, and Musk later said in 2022 that the car would begin shipping in 2023. That deadline came and went without a launch, adding to the uncertainty around the long-delayed sports car.
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