Tesla Roadster Unveiled With SpaceX Thrusters and 2028 Production Target
Tesla unveils a SpaceX-thruster Roadster with 300-mile range, 230-plus mph speed and 2028 production, as safety concerns shadow its public flying stunts.
Summary
Tesla unveiled the redesigned second-generation Roadster outside Waco, Texas, nearly nine years after its 2017 debut. The prototype used fans and thrusters to climb an inverted ramp, spin, land, and clear a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y and Model 3. Elon Musk called it the best of the last human-driven cars, described it as production-representative, and promised 2028 production without naming prices. Tesla showed 0-to-60 mph in one second; every trim promises 300 miles of range and more than 230 mph.
The two-seat Performance trim is road ready, with active aerodynamics and multi-mode suction; reservations cost $50,000. The two-seat, race-ready Thrust adds rear cold-gas thrusters for sub-one-second acceleration and requires $250,000. The invite-only, single-seat Rocket uses 10 cold-gas thrusters. Engineering vice president Lars Moravy said 10 thrusters and 600 liters of rechargeable compressed air lift and rotate the car. Tesla says every usable cavity holds carbon-fiber overwrapped pressure vessels, technology implicated in multiple SpaceX rocket explosions. Musk floated jumping Snake River Canyon and said safety is not the main goal, although Tesla would try to avoid fatalities.
The angular white design draws on the SR-71, F-35, Lamborghini styling and Musk’s Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me. Musk proposed 10 thrusters in 2018, but Model 3 production problems, the best-selling Model Y and commercially disappointing Cybertruck intervened. Delays followed in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024, then missed end-2025 and April 1, 2026 targets; weather canceled an October 1 event. Earlier buyers paid $50,000 deposits, or $250,000 for 1,000 Founders Series cars. Marques Brownlee and Sam Altman criticized the delays; Brownlee questioned claims that a 4,000-plus-pound car could flip, exceed 380 mph and ship in 2028. Musk expects limited revenue impact, making execution and safety the halo car’s test.
Positives
- Tesla demonstrated the Roadster climbing an inverted ramp, spinning, landing and clearing five Tesla vehicles using fans and thrusters.
- One-second 0-to-60 mph acceleration, 300 miles of range and speeds above 230 mph are promised across the lineup.
- Three trims offer distinct configurations, from the two-seat Performance model to the 10-thruster, single-seat Rocket.
- 600 liters of rechargeable compressed air power 10 thrusters capable of lifting and rotating the car.
- 2028 production would finally move Tesla’s halo car beyond the prototype stage nearly nine years after its debut.
Risks & concerns
- 2028 production follows delays in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024, plus missed end-2025 and April 1, 2026 targets.
- Carbon-fiber overwrapped pressure vessels fill every usable cavity despite similar vessels being implicated in multiple SpaceX rocket explosions.
- Elon Musk said safety is not the Roadster’s main goal and advised safety-first buyers against purchasing it.
- Tesla has not announced final prices, although Performance and Thrust reservations require $50,000 and $250,000 respectively.
- Marques Brownlee questioned whether a 4,000-plus-pound car can flip, exceed 380 mph and reach customers in 2028.