Tesla won’t be bringing that Roadster to market next year, after all.
To refresh your memory – Tesla’s product plan includes an ultra-high-performance sports car with a $250,000 price tag. In January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told Twitter followers the company was “finishing engineering this year” and that “production starts next year.”
Yesterday, however, Musk walked that timeline back. “Assuming 2022 is not mega drama,” he tweeted, “new Roadster should ship in 2023.”
Production Date Will Come Six Years After Deposits Started
The company began taking deposits (minimum $50,000) for the car in 2017, while much about it was still uncertain. Tesla has made extravagant claims about the upcoming Roadster. The reservations website currently calls it “the quickest car in the world, with record-setting acceleration, range, and performance.” Graphics on the site claim a top speed of “+250 mph,” a range of 620 miles, and a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds.
But, so far as anyone outside of Tesla knows, they haven’t produced a working vehicle yet. A static prototype of the proposed body sits at the famous Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Tesla has released a CGI animation of the car accelerating with the help of 10 rocket thrusters (no word on how much that package costs or how owners will be able to refuel it). But a working prototype is nowhere to be found.
There Could be Good Reasons for Delay
To be fair to Tesla, producing any vehicle has been challenging in 2021. The company has set sales records all year despite a worldwide microchip shortage that has limited production of many new cars and pushed prices to record highs.
Growth and keeping cars in production during part shortages could be enough work for Tesla.
And perhaps people who can afford to spend $50,000 on a deposit for a vehicle with no delivery date won’t mind waiting a sixth year. That is rare air in the automotive world, and many buyers who live in it are familiar with Tesla’s speculative style. After all, after an extended wait, the company recently produced the Model S Plaid — a full-size electric luxury sedan with 1,020 horsepower and an EPA-certified 348-mile range.
The next product on the Tesla production calendar is the Cybertruck, which has itself been delayed into at least 2022.
A Callback to the First Tesla
Tesla has produced a roadster before. Its first product was a lightning-quick ragtop built on a Lotus Elise chassis. It was famously the first EV to travel more than 200 miles on a single charge. Production of that model ended in 2012.
Related:
- A Quick Breakdown of Each Tesla Model – Prices and Features
- Tesla Cybertruck Price, Range, and Towing
