Tesla has officially set October 1, 2026, as the date for the revealing of its long-awaited next-generation Roadster. The date was confirmed by the company through a teaser image and a countdown on its website, which had remained largely unchanged for nearly a decade until this update. The teaser, shared via Tesla’s X account, features the tagline “Go for launch” alongside the date.

Development Timeline and Delays

The first prototype of the second-generation Roadster was revealed in November 2017 with promises of a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) range, a 0-60 mph acceleration time under two seconds, and a top speed exceeding 400 kilometers per hour (250 mph). Production was initially scheduled for 2020, but the project has been postponed multiple times, though Elon Musk, in a November 2025 shareholders meeting, indicated production would not begin until “2027 or 2028.”

According to Tesla’s official website, the Roadster’s landing page had not been meaningfully updated in about nine years before the recent countdown was added. The teaser image suggests a radically different design from the 2017 prototype, featuring a wide, low vehicle with a full-width red light bar and four white plumes at the rear—possibly cold gas thrusters developed by SpaceX.

Features and Speculation

The teaser image, analyzed by insiders, shows a vehicle with potential cold gas thrusters mounted at the top, which could allow the car to hover or perform aerial demonstrations. These thrusters, developed by SpaceX, are known to be extremely loud, suggesting the flying Roadster variant would be remotely operated and not designed for street use.

There had been earlier speculation that the Roadster would be showcased in August 2026 at a SpaceX test site in Texas; However, this rumor appears to have been discredited or the event was postponed. According to one source, the flying variant could cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars and not be street-legal.

Meanwhile, a road-legal version is also expected to be shown, potentially with a range exceeding 800 kilometers (500 miles) and a price tag that may have increased from the original $200,000 estimate. The teaser image also appears to reference a line from the movie Back to the Future with the text “WHERE WE’RE GOING,” hinting at the vehicle’s road-independent capabilities.

Event and Expectations

Elon Musk himself confirmed the October 1 date by commenting on the teaser post with the message, “New Tesla Roadster Reveal 10.01.” The event will likely focus more on showcasing the vehicle’s technological features, such as the SpaceX thrusters, rather than announcing immediate production or deliveries.

With other upcoming events, including the Tesla Semi launch on September 24 and a SpaceX Starship Flight 14 around September 18, October 2026 is shaping up to be one of the busiest periods for Tesla and Musk’s ventures in recent years.