On Thursday evening, October 15, after the close of trading on Wall Street, Tesla unveiled the second generation of the Roadster - nine years after it first showed it, and after the unveiling date itself slipped from late 2025 to October 1 and then to October 15.
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What was unveiled
The event was broadcast from SpaceX's test site in McGregor, Texas, near Waco. Tesla showed three versions:
| Version | What it is | 0-60 mph acceleration, per Tesla |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | For the road, two seats | Under 1.6 seconds |
| Thrust | For the track, two seats, compressed-gas thrusters at the rear, limited quantity | Under 0.9 seconds |
| Rocket | One seat, about ten thrusters, by order only, not approved for a public road | Under 0.59 seconds |
Sources: Electrek, TechCrunch and Yahoo Finance, based on the event and Tesla's product page.
The demo measured an acceleration of 0.81 seconds on Tesla's timer, and the car performed a flip and hovered - with no person inside. The range given: more than 300 miles. The top speed: more than 230 mph. Musk said this would be the last Tesla driven by a human.
No price was given, and no volume target either. Ordering the Performance version opens with a $5,000 deposit by credit card, plus $45,000 by wire transfer within ten days. For the Thrust version, according to TechCrunch and Fox Business, the reservation is $250,000.
The Promise of 2017, and the Reality of 2026
| 2017 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery date | 2020 | Production in 2028 |
| Range | 620 miles | More than 300 miles |
| Seats | Four (2+2) | Two at most |
| 0-60 mph | 1.9 seconds | 0.81 seconds in the demo |
| Price | About $200,000 | Not disclosed |
Sources: Electrek and Jalopnik.
According to the timeline Electrek put together, the production date slipped again and again: 2020, then 2021, 2022, 2023, hopefully 2024, 2025, 2027 or 2028 - and now, in Electrek's paraphrase of Musk, 2028, for real.
And what was not disclosed: price, volume, battery specs and power output, a final production plant, and whether the versions with the thrusters are legal to drive. Musk himself said he is not sure the car is legal everywhere.
The Stock, and What Is Still Unknown
The event took place after the close, so Thursday's closing price is not a reaction to it: the stock closed at $362.44, down 1.29%, and in the week ending Thursday it fell 5.29%. The first reaction in regular trading is Friday's.
The context: on October 2, Tesla reported 486,532 deliveries in the third quarter, against 497,099 in the same quarter a year ago - a decline of 2.1% - and a deployment of 13.7 GWh of energy storage. On October 21, after the close, it will report results. According to CNBC, the Roadster is not expected to have a material financial impact.
הזווית שלי
דעה אישית של אילן אברמוב - לא ייעוץ ולא המלצה
I'll say that I do not treat this unveiling as a financial event, and according to CNBC it isn't supposed to be one either. What interests me is the gap between what was shown and what was promised - and nine years of delays are a data point in themselves.
Still, both sides exist. Whoever is looking for the technology story will see a car that does 0.81 seconds and uses SpaceX technology. Whoever is looking for the business story will see a product with no price, no volume and no plant, while Tesla's deliveries fell in the quarter. Both readings are right about the same event, and the number that will say more is the one on October 21.
(To be clear: this is my personal opinion only. Nothing here is a recommendation to take any action, and there is no forecast here of the price of any security.)
Ilan Abramov, the author, or anyone on his behalf may hold some of the securities or funds mentioned in this article.
