Tesla has reopened Roadster reservations with a $50,000 requirement, even as buyers still lack a final price, updated specifications, and priority details.
Fox Business reported that Tesla reopened its reservation portal for the long-delayed next-generation Roadster ahead of an Oct. 1 unveiling in Texas.
The renewed sales push comes nearly nine years after Elon Musk first unveiled a prototype. Tesla once said deliveries would begin in 2020, but several key questions about the redesigned car remain unanswered.
A customer must first make a fully refundable $5,000 credit-card payment. Tesla then requires a $45,000 wire transfer within 10 days to complete the reservation.
The available details do not identify the Roadster’s final price or updated performance figures. They also do not explain how Tesla will prioritize customers who reserved the car years ago.
Tesla introduced the next-generation Roadster in November 2017 and advertised a $200,000 base price. The company said the car could reach 60 mph in 1.9 seconds and travel 620 miles on one charge.
At the time, Tesla expected deliveries to start in 2020. The company also accepted $250,000 payments for a limited “Founders Series” version.
The New York Post reported that the Roadster never entered production and faced repeated delays. That history makes the missing delivery details more than a minor omission for prospective buyers.
Tesla did not immediately respond when asked about reservation priority or the redesigned vehicle’s specifications. The company also has not disclosed the specific Texas venue for the unveiling.
Musk recently wrote on X, “New Tesla Roadster Unveil 10.01.” Tesla added its own brief teaser: “Go for launch.”
The Information reported that Tesla abandoned an approach based on Model S Plaid components. The company instead shifted toward an all-new carbon-fiber hypercar, though the current development status remains unclear.
Tesla and SpaceX have also worked on cold-gas thrusters that could appear on a limited-edition Roadster. The feature remains a possibility rather than a confirmed specification for the car now taking reservations.
That distinction matters. Customers are not simply joining an email list; they must send $50,000 to secure a place, including $45,000 by wire.
The initial $5,000 payment is explicitly described as fully refundable. The disclosed reservation terms do not provide the same clear description for the later wire transfer.
Tesla has shown versions of the Roadster before. The original model appeared at a Los Angeles production debut in 2008, while another Roadster was displayed at Tesla’s Austin factory in 2022.
But a display is not a delivery schedule, and a reservation is not a finished vehicle. The Oct. 1 event now carries the burden of supplying firm specifications, pricing and a credible path to customers.
Bold engineering deserves attention, but honest markets require clear terms and firm commitments when customers are asked to put serious money down.