Tesla Unveils the New Roadster With Cold-Gas Thrusters, a 2028 Build Date and No Price

Tesla has finally shown its second-generation Roadster, and the car arrived with rocket thrusters, a stunt show and no price. At a live event in Texas on the evening of October 15, Elon Musk said production will begin in 2028 "for real," nine years after the original promise to ship the car in 2020 (The Next Web, CBC).

What Tesla showed

The reveal took place at a SpaceX facility near Waco, Texas (some reports say McGregor). The car is stark white, angular and low, and Tesla said it drew inspiration from the SR-71 and F-35. In the demonstration, the Roadster drove up an inverted ramp, spun and landed using thrusters and fans, and jumped over a moving Cybercab, Cybertruck, Semi, Model Y and Model 3.

The event itself had slipped repeatedly: Musk promised the car for 2025, then April 1, 2026, then October 1, before bad weather pushed it back again.

Three trims

Roadster trim	Description	To reserve
Performance	Road-ready two-seater with active aero and a suction system; no thrusters	$50,000 deposit
Thrust	"Race ready"; rear cold-gas thrusters; claimed 0-60 mph under 1 second	$250,000 down payment
Rocket	"Air ready"; one seat; 10 cold-gas thrusters; not approved for public roads	Invite only
All trims	Claimed 300-mile range, top speed above 230 mph	Final price not announced

One report says the deposits start with $5,000 upfront, with the balance due within 10 days (Electric Vehicles). Tesla executive Lars Moravy said the thrusters, developed with SpaceX, are fed by about 600 litres of compressed air stored in carbon-fibre pressure vessels (The EV Report).

The 2017 reveal promised 620 miles from a 200 kWh battery, so the new 300-mile range target is far lower than the original car was sold on. The original also took $50,000 deposits and sold 1,000 Founders Series cars at $250,000.

How credible are the numbers

Tesla displayed a 0-60 mph time of about one second, and Engadget says one demonstration was clocked at 0.81 seconds, though it was not clear who was timing it. Thruster-assisted acceleration also differs from a car launching on tyres alone, which makes comparisons with conventional sports cars hard. Engadget suggested the final price could be well over $1 million; that is speculation, not a Tesla figure.

Reporters were sceptical. Engadget's Karissa Bell called the show "an elaborate magic trick" and doubted regulators would allow such a car on public roads, while YouTuber Marques Brownlee asked whether the whole thing was a prank. Some observers also read the event as a way to build interest in a possible Tesla and SpaceX merger (Star-Advertiser/Reuters).

Safety and the flying question

Musk did not claim the car can fly. He said it will "puff itself up" to perform the manoeuvres, and that hovering upside down is "not a thing that most people need," though the same technology helps in corners. He also said the Roadster is not "necessarily a safety-optimized car." Carbon-fibre pressure vessels were behind several SpaceX rocket failures, which leaves open how Tesla will certify tanks carrying compressed air. Tesla's Optimus robot sat in the driver's seat during parts of the show.

What to watch next

The final price, real range and top speed, whether any thruster trim can be certified for public roads, and whether the 2028 build date holds.

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