Tesla Roadster

The second-generation Tesla Roadster was first shown in November 2017. Nine years later, on 15 October 2026, Tesla finally revealed the production-intent car at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas. Tesla is targeting production in 2028 and has not announced a price.

The hardware

The Roadster sits on a new chassis that combines aluminium and carbon fibre, with steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire and carbon-ceramic brakes. Two motors on the rear axle drive the rear wheels only, one per wheel for torque vectoring. Reported figures from the reveal put the Performance at over 1,073 hp and 885 lb-ft, with the top trim at up to 1,341 hp. Tesla has claimed a top speed of over 230 mph. These are pre-production claims, not homologated figures or VOLT-AGE test results.

Battery and charging

The pack uses Tesla's own 4680 cells on an 800-volt-plus architecture. Tesla has not given its capacity. Tesla expects around 310 to 320 miles of range, half the 620 miles promised in 2017, and charging at up to 500 kW.

Three trims

Performance is the road car: two seats, active aerodynamics and a fan-powered suction system for downforce. Thrust adds cold-gas thrusters at the rear, which Tesla says take it from 0 to 60 mph in under a second. Rocket is invite-only, seats one, adds thrusters around the car and is not approved for public roads.

Why it matters

After years of delays, the Roadster is finally a real design with a production date. Whether it reaches customers in 2028 is the next test. Read the full story in the Journal.