The second-generation Tesla Roadster is a battery electric sports car that Tesla has shown but not yet produced. It was announced in November 2017 with a claimed 0–60 mph time of 1.9 seconds and was meant to reach customers in 2020. A redesigned two-seat version was unveiled in October 2026, with production planned for 2028.
Tesla Roadster (second generation) at a glance
| Maker | Tesla, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | battery electric sports car, halo car |
| Announced | 16 November 2017 |
| Original plan | 10,000 cars from 2020 |
| Starting price, 2017 | US$200,000 |
| Redesign shown | 15 October 2026, McGregor, Texas |
| Configurations | Performance, Thrust, Rocket |
| Range, 2026 | more than 300 mi (480 km), Tesla claim |
| Top speed, 2026 | above 230 mph (370 km/h), Tesla claim |
| Production | planned for 2028 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia page, because the German Wikipedia has no separate page on the second generation.
History of the Tesla Roadster (second generation)
A surprise at the Semi event
The first Roadster ended production in 2011, and Elon Musk soon suggested a new one without the Lotus Elise chassis. A prototype drove out of the back of a Semi trailer at the end of the Semi event on 16 November 2017, with a promise of availability in 2020 from US$200,000. Test rides were given to those who paid the first US$5,000 of a US$50,000 deposit.
Promises and rockets
In June 2018 Musk described a “SpaceX option package” of about ten cold-gas thrusters, fed by air tanks that would replace the rear seats, to improve cornering, acceleration and braking. In June 2019 he said a base car would reach 60 mph in 2.1 seconds. In July 2020 he suggested production in 12 to 18 months, and in August 2025 Tesla filed a patent for ground effect technology. The car was never produced as planned.
The October 2026 reveal
On 15 October 2026 Tesla unveiled a redesigned car at SpaceX’s rocket test facility in McGregor, Texas. A driverless prototype with a mannequin in a SpaceX spacesuit used fans and cold-gas thrusters to drive up an inverted ramp and briefly leave the ground. Tesla claimed a 0–60 mph run of 0.81 seconds, which was not independently timed, and engineers told Top Gear the initial top speed would be 214 mph (340 km/h). Musk said production would begin in 2028; no price was announced and reservations reopened.
Design and features
- Halo car: a showcase model for the brand, successor to the 2008 Tesla Roadster.
- Cold-gas thrusters: developed with SpaceX for the Thrust and Rocket versions.
- The 2017 concept: a targeted range of about 620 miles (1,000 km).
- Changed target: the 2026 car claims more than 300 miles of range instead.
Tesla Roadster (second generation) versions
- Performance: the first of the three announced configurations.
- Thrust: adds the cold-gas thrusters.
- Rocket: the most extreme version, with the thrusters.
- Base version: Tesla engineers have described one below the Performance model.
The original car is covered in Tesla Roadster: Tesla’s first electric sports car. The truck shown at the same 2017 event was the Tesla Semi. All models are in the Tesla collection.
Sources
- Tesla Roadster (second generation), English Wikipedia: history, 2026 reveal, claims
