Tesla Sets October 1 Reveal Date for Second-Generation Roadster

Tesla posted a teaser on September 12 featuring the caption "Go for launch" alongside an illuminated image of the vehicle marked with the date "10.01". The company added a countdown timer on its Roadster order page pointing to the same date, which falls on Thursday.

The automaker has sent formal invitations to reservation holders confirming the event will take place in Waco, Texas, approximately 90 minutes north of its Austin facilities. While Tesla did not disclose the specific venue, Waco's proximity to SpaceX's McGregor test site—previously reported as the location for a Roadster thruster demonstration—suggests a connection. The reveal begins at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on October 1, with RSVPs required by midnight on September 16.

The demonstration is expected to center on the SpaceX-developed thruster package, internally designated A71 after the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. The system employs cold gas thrusters powered by a composite overwrapped pressure vessel, the same tank design SpaceX uses on Falcon 9 rockets. According to Musk's statements, a thruster-equipped Roadster could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in approximately 1.1 seconds under roughly 2.75 g-force. This variant will not be street-legal and is expected to be offered as a limited-production track-only vehicle.

The standard Roadster is anticipated to maintain its original $200,000 base price. Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy confirmed that production will occur at Gigafactory Texas, with manufacturing targeted for 2027 or 2028.