What is the Tesla Roadster with SpaceX thrusters and when will it go on sale?
Tesla's second-generation Roadster, unveiled as a concept in 2017, is still not on sale, with production now planned for 2027 or 2028.
Covers: What Tesla and SpaceX have officially said about the second-generation Roadster and its optional SpaceX cold-gas thruster package, announced timelines and their slippage, and what remains unconfirmed. Does not cover the original 2008 Roadster or general electric-vehicle buying advice.
Also answers: When is the new Tesla Roadster coming out? · Tesla Roadster SpaceX thruster package explained · Is the Tesla Roadster with rocket thrusters real? · Tesla Roadster 2 release date
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The short answer
Evidence-backed AI-prepared starting mapThe second-generation Tesla Roadster is an upcoming battery-electric sports car that Tesla unveiled as a concept prototype in November 2017, when it claimed a 0–60 mph time of 1.9 seconds — quicker than any street-legal production car at that date. It is the successor to the 2008 Roadster and is meant as a halo car for Tesla. Tesla announced three…1
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At a glance
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1.9 seconds
10,000 units
The evidence behind it
2 sources- Background2
| Source | Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Roadster (second generation) (Wikipedia) | Background | Unknown |
| Tesla Roadster (first generation) (Wikipedia) | Background | Unknown |
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Be the first to voteIn brief
The second-generation Roadster is a planned electric sports car unveiled as a concept in November 2017, with a claimed 0–60 mph of 1.9 seconds.1
Evidence-backedTesla announced Performance, Thrust and Rocket configurations; the latter two use cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX.1
Evidence-backedProduction was originally planned for 2020 and has slipped repeatedly; Musk said in November 2025 that production would begin in 2027 or 2028.1
Evidence-backedA redesigned two-seat version shown in October 2026 is planned for production in 2028.1
Evidence-backedNo sale date, price or confirmed road-legality for the thruster versions has been announced.1
Interpretation
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What it means for you
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If you want to know when you can buy one
treat 2027–2028 as a stated production target, not a confirmed sale date, since the timeline has already slipped several times.1
Evidence-backedIf you are interested in the SpaceX thruster versions
note that Thrust and Rocket are announced configurations using cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX, but their real-world performance and road legality are not yet established.1
Evidence-backedIf you are weighing the 1.9-second 0–60 claim
treat it as a 2017 company claim for a car not yet in production, and watch whether the October 2026 redesign keeps it.1
Evidence-backedThe full explanation
Evidence-backed AI-prepared starting mapThe second-generation Tesla Roadster is an upcoming battery-electric sports car that Tesla unveiled as a concept prototype in November 2017, when it claimed a 0–60 mph time of 1.9 seconds — quicker than any street-legal production car at that date. It is the successor to the 2008 Roadster and is meant as a halo car for Tesla. Tesla announced three configurations — "Performance", "Thrust" and "Rocket" — with the latter two using cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX; engineers have also described a base version below Performance. It was originally set to start production in 2020 with 10,000 units, but the release has slipped repeatedly. In November 2025 Elon Musk said production would begin in 2027 or 2028, and a redesigned two-seat version shown in October 2026 is planned for production in 2028. No sale date is confirmed.1
- Evidence 12
- Interpretation 2
The full story · 3 chapters
01
What the Roadster and its thruster package are
AI summary:A planned electric sports car and successor to the 2008 Roadster, with three announced configurations and SpaceX thrusters on two of them.
Evidence-backed: The second-generation Roadster is a planned battery-electric sports car and the successor to Tesla's 2008 Roadster, intended as a halo car for the company. At its November 2017 unveiling Tesla claimed 0–60 mph in 1.9 seconds, which would have been quicker than any street-legal production car at that date.1
Evidence-backed: Tesla announced three configurations: "Performance", "Thrust" and "Rocket". The Thrust and Rocket versions use cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX. Tesla engineers have also described a base version below the Performance model, so the final lineup is not settled.1
02
Announced timeline and how it has slipped
AI summary:Unveiled in 2017 and originally due in 2020, production has slipped repeatedly, with Musk now pointing to 2027 or 2028.
Evidence-backed: The car was unveiled as a concept prototype in November 2017 and was originally set to start production in 2020 with 10,000 units. The release has been delayed multiple times since.1
Evidence-backed: In November 2025, Elon Musk said production would begin in 2027 or 2028. A redesigned two-seat version was shown in October 2026, with production planned for 2028. These are stated plans; no sale date has been confirmed.1
03
What is still unconfirmed
AI summary:Price, road-legality and real-world performance of the thruster versions, and whether the 1.9-second claim still holds, are unconfirmed.
Interpretation: Key details remain open: the final price, whether the thruster-equipped Thrust and Rocket versions will be road-legal and how they perform in practice, and whether the October 2026 redesign keeps the original 1.9-second claim. Given the history of slippage, the 2027–2028 window is a target rather than a firm date.1
Before you go
What to remember
Try to recall each hidden figure before you reveal it. Remembering, not rereading, is what makes it stick.
The second-generation Roadster is a planned electric sports car unveiled as a concept in November 2017, with a claimed mph of 1.9 seconds.
Tesla announced Performance, Thrust and Rocket configurations; the latter two use cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX.
Production was originally planned for 2020 and has slipped repeatedly; Musk said in November 2025 that production would begin in 2027 or 2028.
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- 1Tesla Roadster (second generation) (Wikipedia)WikipediaPublished Oct 17, 2026Checked Oct 17, 2026
“The second-generation Tesla Roadster is an upcoming battery electric sports car planned to be built by Tesla, Inc. When it was announced in 2017, the company claimed it would be capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, which would have been quicker than any street legal production car at the date of its announcement in November 2017. The Roadster is the successor to Tesla's first production car, the 2008 Tesla Roadster, and is intended to be a halo car for the company. Unveiled as a concept prototype in November 2017 and originally set to start production in 2020 with 10,000 units, the release has been delayed multiple times. In November 2025, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said production would begin in 2027 or 2028. A redesigned two-seat version was shown in October 2026, with production planned for 2028. Tesla announced three configurations ("Performance", "Thrust", and "Rocket"), the latter two using cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX; Tesla engineers have also described a base version below the Performance model.”
- 2Tesla Roadster (first generation) (Wikipedia)WikipediaPublished Oct 8, 2026Checked Oct 17, 2026
“The first generation Tesla Roadster is a battery electric sports car based on the Lotus Elise chassis, and was produced by Tesla Motors (now Tesla, Inc.) from 2008 to 2012. The Roadster was the first highway legal, serial production, all-electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells, and the first production all-electric car with a range of more than 200 miles (320 km) per charge. Tesla sold about 2,450 Roadsters in over 30 countries, and most of the last Roadsters were sold in Europe and Asia during the fourth quarter of 2012. Tesla produced right-hand-drive Roadsters from early 2010. The Roadster qualified for government incentives in several nations. According to the U.S. EPA, the Roadster can travel 244 miles (393 km) on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack. The vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 3.7 or 3.9 seconds depending on the model. It has a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h). The Roadster's efficiency, as of September 2008, was reported as 120 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (28 kW⋅h/100 mi) (2.0 L/100 km). It uses 21.7 kWh/100 mi (135 Wh/km) battery-to-wheel, and has an efficiency of 88% on average.”
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Published 1 time since Oct 17, 2026.
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The brief is open about what's uncertain. These are the specific gaps that new material would fill.
“What the Roadster and its thruster package are” rests on one independent source
A second, independent source that confirms or challenges it would make this part more reliable.
“Announced timeline and how it has slipped” rests on one independent source
A second, independent source that confirms or challenges it would make this part more reliable.
“What is still unconfirmed” has no evidence or firsthand experience yet
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Open questions
Will Tesla confirm a firm on-sale date, and does the 2028 plan for the redesigned version hold?
No answers yet
Will the SpaceX cold-gas thruster versions be legal for road use, and in which markets?
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What will the Roadster and the thruster packages cost?
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Does the redesigned two-seat version keep the claimed 1.9-second 0–60 time?
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