Tesla posted a countdown on its website pointing to an October 1 launch of the Roadster, nearly a decade after the electric-vehicle maker first revealed a next-generation version of its original sports car. The event could include a demonstration of a limited-edition version equipped with cold-gas thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX.
The delayed launch of Tesla's Roadster, a vehicle intended to showcase the company's technological prowess, has been a long-running saga. The potential integration of SpaceX thrusters adds a novel element, while the concurrent rollout of the Cybercab highlights Tesla's broader ambitions in autonomous and driverless transport.
Tesla posted a countdown on its website on Saturday, pointing to an October 1 launch of its second-generation Roadster, nearly a decade after the electric-vehicle maker first revealed a next-generation version of its original sports car. The company posted "Go for launch" on social media platform X alongside a graphic displaying the date "10.01".
The Information reported in August that Tesla planned to unveil a redesigned Roadster as early as that month. The event could include a demonstration of a limited-edition version equipped with cold-gas thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX, the report said, with the demonstration expected to take place at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas.
Tesla first unveiled the next-generation Roadster in 2017 and said deliveries would begin in 2020, but the program has faced repeated delays. This comes as the electric-vehicle maker last week began offering rides in its two-seater Cybercab, which has no steering wheel or pedals, in limited areas of Austin, Texas, a vehicle Musk has described as key to transforming Tesla into a dominant force in driverless vehicles.