Tesla has finally announced the unveiling date for the second-generation Roadster; a product that has been promised for nearly a decade but has been delayed repeatedly.
According to IRTNA, Tesla posted a countdown on the vehicle’s page with the phrase "Go for launch" and the date 10.01, implicitly indicating the unveiling ceremony will be held on October 1.
Reports state that invitations to the event were sent to preorder holders and the location was announced as Waco in the state of Texas.
A not very bright history
The initial version of the second-generation Roadster was first unveiled in November 2017 by Elon Musk and production was supposed to start in 2020; a promise that was postponed again and again in the following years.
Many buyers, having paid deposits up to $50,000, have been waiting for years without receiving a firm delivery date.
One of these individuals was Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who after years of waiting requested a refund of his deposit and eventually got his money back; a matter that caused a stir on social media between him and Musk.
SpaceX’s mysterious package
One of Musk’s most attractive and controversial promises about the Roadster is the installation of a so-called "SpaceX package"; a set of cold-gas thrusters that are said to give the car extraordinary lateral acceleration and even allow it to briefly lift off the ground.
Elon Musk previously told Joe Rogan, the host of the famous American podcast, that he would like the car to be able to "fly," but he is not yet sure how that can be done without endangering the occupants.
According to Reuters, Tesla is preparing a limited version of the Roadster equipped with this propulsion system developed in collaboration with SpaceX, and its practical demonstration may be held not on a public road but at SpaceX’s McGregor test site in Texas.
Why does this unveiling matter?
According to The Verge, the event takes place while Tesla faces declining global sales, aging production lines, and Elon Musk’s increasing focus on robotaxi projects and humanoid robots. For this reason, some analysts view the unveiling as an effort to restore excitement and nostalgia to the Tesla brand during a difficult sales period.
However, even if the final unveiling takes place as planned on October 1, buyers should not expect immediate delivery of the car; Musk had previously said mass production could begin about 12 to 18 months after the final unveiling.