According to long-time Tesla tracker Sawyer Merritt, who revealed on social media today, Tesla has officially sent out invitations for the unveiling event to holders of reservations for the new generation Roadster. The event is scheduled to take place on October 1st in Waco, Texas, USA.
This launch event, described by Musk as "epic," marks the moment when this legendary supercar, delayed for nearly nine years, finally steps into the spotlight.
The invitation indicates that the event will be held in Waco, located about a 1.5-hour drive north of Austin, near SpaceX's rocket testing facility in McGregor.
Tickets for the unveiling event are non-transferable, require real-name registration, and are restricted to attendees aged 21 and older. Given the venue selection and age restrictions, this launch event will likely involve a live ignition demonstration of the SpaceX cold gas thrusters on the actual vehicle. Due to the extreme noise levels posing a risk of hearing damage, previous reports indicated that the demonstration vehicle would be remotely operated with no one inside.
Looking back at the delay history of this supercar, the new generation Roadster has been part of Tesla's product planning for nearly a decade.
When the prototype was first unveiled in November 2017, Tesla promised mass production by 2020. Since then, the timeline has been repeatedly pushed back: in 2020, Musk revised it to "12 to 18 months later"; in 2021, it was delayed due to supply chain issues; in 2022, it was postponed again; and in 2023, Musk admitted on social media that it was "not ready yet."
At last November's Tesla shareholder meeting, Musk set the demonstration date for April 1, 2026—April Fool's Day. He publicly acknowledged at the time that this date gave him "plausible deniability."
After failing to materialize in April, the date was pushed to late April, then to August. As of early September, Tesla still only stated it would happen "soon." Now that invitations have finally been sent, the number of delays has exceeded eight.
According to previously released data from Tesla, the new generation Roadster's base model accelerates from 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds. With the optional SpaceX package, this can be further reduced to 1.1 seconds. It features 10,000 N·m of wheel torque, a top speed exceeding 250 mph (approximately 400 km/h), a range of 620 miles (approximately 1,000 kilometers), and a four-seat, all-wheel-drive layout.
The cold gas thrusters included in the SpaceX package, internally codenamed A71, generate thrust through directed jets of compressed gas, a technology derived from spacecraft attitude control modules.
In terms of pricing, the base model requires a $50,000 reservation deposit, while the Founders Series requires full payment of $250,000. The expected final vehicle price ranges between $200,000 and $250,000, with mass production scheduled to begin in 2027.