Tesla Roadster Reveal Set for Oct 1 With SpaceX Thrusters — SkimNews
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- Tesla teased a Roadster reveal for October 1 with a 'Go for launch' image showing the car under rocket-like lighting, aligning with its promise of a SpaceX thruster-equipped vehicle.
- Tesla has delayed the Roadster's production timeline at least eight times since its 2017 unveiling, with Elon Musk now citing a 2027–2028 start, pushing back initial 2020 promises.
- SpaceX-developed cold gas thrusters are expected to enable the Roadster to hover during the demo, though the version shown will not be street legal or intended for mass sale.
- Tesla scaled back its planned 'flying' demonstration from a complex sequence involving ramps and inversion to a remote-controlled hover with no occupants, due to safety and technical constraints.
- Reservations for the Roadster, priced at $50,000 or $250,000, have remained unfulfilled since 2017, with high-profile figures like Marques Brownlee and Sam Altman confirming they canceled their orders.
- Electrek assesses that the Roadster has effectively become a marketing tool for the Tesla-SpaceX relationship rather than a functional car program, coinciding with Musk's broader push to merge the companies.
Why it matters: The repeated delays and shrinking scope of the Roadster reveal undermine Tesla’s credibility with early backers who paid large deposits, while the focus on spectacle over deliverables suggests investor excitement—not consumer access—is the real goal, especially as Musk positions Tesla and SpaceX for a potential merger.
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