Tesla Roadster 2026 Reveal: Specs, Price, Deposit and Release Date (What Is Confirmed vs Claimed)
Tesla's Roadster reveal on 15 Oct 2026: trim-by-trim claimed specs, no price yet, the $5,000 + $45,000 reservation steps, a 2028 target, and which claims are unverified.
TL;DR: Tesla showed its second-generation Roadster on the evening of 15 Oct 2026 (US Central time; morning of 16 Oct in Korea). It has no announced price and Musk said production starts in 2028. New reservations ask for $5,000 today plus $45,000 within 10 days for the base Performance trim. Almost every headline number (0-60 in under a second, 230+ mph, 300+ mile range) is a Tesla claim, not an independent test.
The short version, as a quick-answer list
- When was it revealed? Thursday 15 Oct 2026, 7:55 p.m. local time, livestreamed from a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas (CNBC, Reuters).
- When can you get one? Musk said production starts in 2028, adding "actually" with a laugh (Car and Driver, Electrek). No delivery date has been published.
- How much does it cost? Unknown. Reuters, CNBC, Wired and Electrek all say no price was given. The $200,000 base price from 2017 is old and nobody has confirmed it still applies.
- How much to reserve? $50,000 total for Performance, split $5,000 + $45,000. See the how-to below.
Specs: what Tesla says, trim by trim
Tesla posted the trim details on X and its Roadster page after the stream. Electrek and The Verge both repeat the same figures.
| Trim | Seats | Tesla's 0-60 mph claim | Other claims | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 2 | under 1.6 s | 300+ mile target range | By reservation |
| Thrust | 2 | under 0.9 s | rear cold-gas thrusters | "Limited release" |
| Rocket | 1 | under 0.59 s | 230+ mph top speed, thrusters around the car | "Invite only"; not approved for public road use |
Other details Tesla or reporters at the event gave: steer-by-wire with a yoke, a retractable active rear wing, a fan-based suction system rated at about 2 g, thrusters rated above 80 kN, and compressed-air tanks (The Verge reports roughly 600 litres combined) rather than chemical fuel. On stage the demo car did 0-60 in a claimed 1.0 second, then a claimed 0.81 second.
What to treat with caution
- The 0-60 numbers are for specific trims. The sub-one-second figure belongs to the Thrust and Rocket "augments", not the base car. Tesla's own page says the features it lists reflect the Thrust option only.
- Timer, not test. The 0.81 second run was timed by Tesla at its own event. No outside organisation has verified it.
- Range is down. Tesla quotes 300+ miles. In 2017 it promised about 620 miles (Electrek, The Verge). Seating also dropped from four to two.
- The flying car is not a road car. Tesla says Rocket is not approved for public road use. Wired quotes aviation experts saying FAA approval could take at least a year and that a pilot licence might be needed. The flying demo had no one inside, according to Wired.
- "Remote controlled" claims differ by outlet. Engadget says the stunts were programmed; Electrek earlier expected a remote-operated car. We only state that the demo car carried nobody (Wired).
How to reserve, step by step
This is based on Tesla's own US reservation page and Electrek's description. Always read the reservation agreement on Tesla's site before paying.
- Open the Roadster reservation page on tesla.com for your region and log in to your Tesla account.
- Pick Performance. Thrust is listed as limited and Rocket as invite-only.
- Pay $5,000 now by card. Tesla labels this "fully refundable".
- Within 10 days, send $45,000 by wire. The page says the reservation is not final until payment arrives, and it can be cancelled if you miss the deadline.
- Note the fine print: "Refunds for modifications will not be issued", and the page does not confirm final configuration, price or delivery.
Reporting differs on the Thrust trim. Reuters says the page shows a $250,000 deposit for Thrust, while Engadget describes an extra $245,000 on top of the base payments. We could not confirm which breakdown is exact, so check the live page. Reuters and CNBC say US, Canada and China reservations are open; Korean media report a Korean page too.
Who should (and should not) reserve
- Reasonable: buyers who can afford to leave $50,000 idle for years and treat it as a fan deposit.
- Think twice: anyone who needs a delivery date. The 2017 deposit holders were promised 2020 and, per Electrek and Reuters, still have no car. Some, including Sam Altman, cancelled and got refunds.
- Not a purchase: a reservation is not an order. Tesla states it does not lock in price, configuration or delivery.
FAQ
Is there a price? No. Tesla gave none.
Is it street legal? Rocket is stated as not approved for public roads. Musk himself said he is "not sure it's necessarily legal in all jurisdictions". Performance's legal status was not detailed.
Will it have self-driving? CNBC reports Tesla left FSD out and Musk said it will be the last Tesla intended to be driven by a human.
Does it matter for Tesla's finances? CNBC says it is unlikely to have a material financial impact. Musk called it a "small potato situation" in 2023.
Sources: Reuters (15-16 Oct 2026), CNBC (15 Oct), The Verge (16 Oct), Electrek (15 Oct), Car and Driver (16 Oct), Wired (15 Oct), Engadget (15 Oct), Tesla Roadster and reservation pages (read 16 Oct 2026). Specs are manufacturer claims. Not financial advice.
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