Tesla unveiled the new Roadster at SpaceX's test facility in Texas, promoting the idea of using cold gas thruster systems to boost performance and possibly enable the car to hover. However, the company has not confirmed readiness for commercial production after significant delays since the project's initial launch in 2017.
On 16 Oct 2026 GMT+7CNBC news agencyReports state that Tesla held the unveiling of the new Roadster at SpaceX's test center in McGregor, Texas, USA, starting a live broadcast at 19:55 local time, or 20:55 Eastern U.S. time.
Senior executives attended the event, including Elon Musk, Tesla CEO; Franz von Holzhausen, Chief Designer; and Lars Moravy, Vice President of Vehicle Engineering.
Musk said, "Viewers will witness exciting technology born from the collaboration between an automaker and a rocket technology company, which he considers the best in the world in their respective fields."
The new Roadster is positioned as a high-end electric sports car with limited production, focusing on applying SpaceX technology—specifically cold gas thrusters—which could enhance speed, braking performance, and enable the car to hover above the ground.
This concept was first revealed by Musk in 2018, noting that the new Roadster might include a SpaceX accessory package featuring about 10 small rocket thrusters discreetly placed around the car to boost driving performance and potentially allow the Tesla to fly.
However, this technology remains in demonstration and development stages, with no confirmed performance details or commercial production readiness.
In recent weeks, Tesla has reopened Roadster reservations, charging a $50,000 deposit from customers in the U.S., Canada, and China, while executives plan to release more information on pricing, vehicle features, and production targets.
The original Roadster was designed and developed by a team led by Martin Eberhard, Tesla co-founder and former CEO, using the Lotus Elise sports car platform. Deliveries began in 2008 at about $100,000 before production ended in 2012.
Tesla later unveiled the next-generation Roadster concept in November 2017 and began accepting $50,000 reservations the same year, but repeatedly missed announced delivery deadlines.
In October 2025, Musk signaled a Roadster demonstration would happen before year's end, but the event ultimately did not occur as planned.
These delays sparked criticism, including from Sam Altman, OpenAI co-founder and former close associate of Musk, who posted on platform X last year showing proof of reservation and refund requests after waiting over seven years for delivery.
Altman said he was initially excited about the car and understood delays could happen, but waiting seven and a half years was excessive; he has since received a refund.
Meanwhile, some customers kept their reservation rights, such as Lawrence O’Connor, founder and CEO of Other World Computing in Austin, Texas, who told CNBC he reserved a Founder’s Edition Roadster in November 2017 for $250,000, likening the reservation to an interest-free loan to Tesla.
O’Connor said he planned to attend the unveiling and was excited to see the result of nearly nine years of development.
For this event, Tesla coordinated with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish a no-fly zone over SpaceX’s test center after having to cancel a planned October 1 demonstration due to unfavorable weather.
Although the new Roadster has drawn interest from Tesla fans and automotive tech followers worldwide, as a premium limited-production sports car, it is not expected to significantly impact Tesla’s overall financial performance.