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What is the story about?
Tesla has delayed the reveal and demonstration of its redesigned second-generation Roadster from October 1 to October 15, citing severe weather expected in central Texas.
Tesla said it had been tracking the forecast with local meteorologists but decided to postpone the event because it can only be held outdoors.
“We’ve been tracking the weather closely with local meteorologists, but given the severe conditions predicted & because this event can only be held outdoors, we’ve made the difficult decision to reschedule. New date is October 15. Additional details to follow,” the company said in a post on X on September 28.
The event was originally scheduled for October 1 and was to be held in the Waco, Texas, area. Reports have linked the event to SpaceX’s facility in McGregor, near Waco, although Tesla has not confirmed the venue for the new October 15 date.
The National Weather Service had forecast widespread showers and thunderstorms across North and Central Texas on Wednesday and Thursday, with 2 to 5 inches of rain expected in many areas and the possibility of locally higher totals.
Why outdoors
Tesla’s decision to hold the event outdoors has renewed attention on reports that the Roadster could be demonstrated using a SpaceX-developed cold-gas thruster system.
Tesla has been working with SpaceX on a thruster package that could allow the Roadster to hover or lift off the ground for short periods. Reports have said a planned demonstration could involve a remotely controlled Roadster with no one inside the vehicle, while spectators would be kept several hundred yards away.
An FAA airspace restriction covering the McGregor area was also issued for high-energy testing operations by SpaceX, although that notice did not establish that the Roadster itself would fly.
Tesla’s latest delay comes after several changes to the Roadster’s reveal timeline this year. Musk had previously announced April 1, then late April, “maybe in a month or so” and August as possible dates before Tesla set October 1. The company has now moved the event to October 15.
Nearly a decade
Tesla first showed the second-generation Roadster prototype in November 2017 at the event where it unveiled the Semi electric truck. The company had originally targeted production in 2020 and gave the car an estimated starting price of around $200,000.
Tesla took $50,000 deposits for reservations, while customers seeking one of the 1,000 Founders Series cars were asked for $250,000. The Roadster was intended to be Tesla’s first supercar designed from the ground up, unlike the original Roadster, which was based largely on the Lotus Elise.
The project was repeatedly postponed as Tesla focused on other vehicles and programmes. Musk later said the redesigned Roadster would enter production about 12 to 18 months after its reveal, putting production in 2027 or 2028 based on the current timeline.
More waiting
Musk had earlier proposed April 1, 2026, for the Roadster demonstration and joked that the date gave him “some deniability” if the event was delayed again.
“Like, I could say I was just kidding,” Musk said during Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in November 2025.
The long wait has also prompted comments from reservation holders. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who had reserved a Roadster, wrote last year that “7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait” for the car. Musk later said Altman had received a refund.
The latest Roadster event was set to be Tesla’s third product showcase in a month, following presentations for the Cybercab and Semi. The October 15 event will now be the next opportunity for Tesla to show the redesigned car and provide details on its technology, pricing and production plans.
The second-generation Roadster was first shown nearly nine years ago, and Tesla has yet to put the production version on sale.
Tesla said it had been tracking the forecast with local meteorologists but decided to postpone the event because it can only be held outdoors.
“We’ve been tracking the weather closely with local meteorologists, but given the severe conditions predicted & because this event can only be held outdoors, we’ve made the difficult decision to reschedule. New date is October 15. Additional details to follow,” the company said in a post on X on September 28.
Roadster
event update We've been tracking the weather closely with local meteorologists, but given the severe conditions predicted & because this event can only be held outdoors, we've made the difficult decision to reschedule. New date is October 15. Additional details to…
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 28, 2026
The event was originally scheduled for October 1 and was to be held in the Waco, Texas, area. Reports have linked the event to SpaceX’s facility in McGregor, near Waco, although Tesla has not confirmed the venue for the new October 15 date.
The National Weather Service had forecast widespread showers and thunderstorms across North and Central Texas on Wednesday and Thursday, with 2 to 5 inches of rain expected in many areas and the possibility of locally higher totals.
Why outdoors
Tesla’s decision to hold the event outdoors has renewed attention on reports that the Roadster could be demonstrated using a SpaceX-developed cold-gas thruster system.
Tesla has been working with SpaceX on a thruster package that could allow the Roadster to hover or lift off the ground for short periods. Reports have said a planned demonstration could involve a remotely controlled Roadster with no one inside the vehicle, while spectators would be kept several hundred yards away.
An FAA airspace restriction covering the McGregor area was also issued for high-energy testing operations by SpaceX, although that notice did not establish that the Roadster itself would fly.
Tesla’s latest delay comes after several changes to the Roadster’s reveal timeline this year. Musk had previously announced April 1, then late April, “maybe in a month or so” and August as possible dates before Tesla set October 1. The company has now moved the event to October 15.
Nearly a decade
Tesla first showed the second-generation Roadster prototype in November 2017 at the event where it unveiled the Semi electric truck. The company had originally targeted production in 2020 and gave the car an estimated starting price of around $200,000.
Tesla took $50,000 deposits for reservations, while customers seeking one of the 1,000 Founders Series cars were asked for $250,000. The Roadster was intended to be Tesla’s first supercar designed from the ground up, unlike the original Roadster, which was based largely on the Lotus Elise.
The project was repeatedly postponed as Tesla focused on other vehicles and programmes. Musk later said the redesigned Roadster would enter production about 12 to 18 months after its reveal, putting production in 2027 or 2028 based on the current timeline.
More waiting
Musk had earlier proposed April 1, 2026, for the Roadster demonstration and joked that the date gave him “some deniability” if the event was delayed again.
“Like, I could say I was just kidding,” Musk said during Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in November 2025.
The long wait has also prompted comments from reservation holders. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who had reserved a Roadster, wrote last year that “7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait” for the car. Musk later said Altman had received a refund.
The latest Roadster event was set to be Tesla’s third product showcase in a month, following presentations for the Cybercab and Semi. The October 15 event will now be the next opportunity for Tesla to show the redesigned car and provide details on its technology, pricing and production plans.
The second-generation Roadster was first shown nearly nine years ago, and Tesla has yet to put the production version on sale.
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