Tesla's next-generation Roadster reveal date is October 1, 2026. Tesla's own X account posted "Go for launch" on September 12, 2026, alongside a teaser image; the post did not name the Roadster. Elon Musk quote-posted it that evening, writing "New Tesla Roadster Unveil 10.01." Tesla has not said publicly where the event will happen, and the car itself has not been shown as of September 25, 2026.
Has Tesla confirmed the October 1 date itself?
Yes, directly, though the two posts split the confirmation. Tesla's X account posted "Go for launch" at 2:37 p.m. Eastern on September 12, 2026, with an image showing four thruster-like plumes and the text "10.01"; it did not mention the Roadster by name. Musk quote-posted it at 8:31 p.m. Eastern the same day, writing "New Tesla Roadster Unveil 10.01," the post that names the car and calls it an unveil. Neither post named a venue or a start time.
As of September 25, 2026, Tesla's tesla.com/roadster page shows only the Roadster wordmark, a countdown clock and a "Reserve Now" button. It lists no specs or price.
Has Tesla said where the reveal will happen?
No. Tesla has not named a location or start time on tesla.com or its official X account as of September 25, 2026. Outside reporting, built on invitations Tesla is said to have sent reservation holders, points to Waco, Texas, but Tesla has not confirmed it. Anyone checking a location or start time before the event should look for it on Tesla's channels, not a secondhand report.
What does Tesla's Q2 2026 shareholder update say about the car?
Tesla's own Q2 2026 shareholder update, released July 22, 2026, includes a manufacturing table listing every vehicle line by plant region, production capacity and status. The Cybertruck and Cybercab are listed as in production in Texas; Model 3 and Model Y are listed as in production. The Roadster's row reads differently. It lists no plant region, no capacity figure, and a status of "Design development." That is Tesla's most recent public word on where the car stands in manufacturing, not a rumor about a launch date.
What did Tesla promise about the Roadster in 2017?
Tesla's tesla.com/roadster page, as archived by the Wayback Machine on November 17, 2017, made a specific set of claims for what it then called the new Roadster. It listed a 620-mile range, a 1.9-second 0-60 mph time, a top speed of "over 250 mph," and all-wheel drive. Pricing had two tiers. A $200,000 base price came with a $50,000 reservation, and a $250,000 Founders Series was capped at 1,000 reservations, each requiring the full $250,000 up front.
The tesla.com/roadster page, checked September 25, 2026, carries none of those figures. One figure matches, though. tesla.com/roadster/reserve now structures a Roadster reservation as a $5,000 credit-card payment today plus a $45,000 wire transfer due within 10 days. That is the same $50,000 total Tesla quoted for a base reservation in 2017.
What does NHTSA's record show for the Cybertruck, Tesla's last new retail model?
The Cybertruck is the last new Tesla model sold to US retail buyers; Tesla's own Q2 2026 shareholder update describes the newer Cybercab as built for its Robotaxi fleet, not for retail sale. Its NHTSA record below is the history of that launch, not a forecast for the Roadster.
Owners had filed 32 NHTSA complaints on the Cybertruck as of September 23, 2026: 24 against the 2025 Cybertruck and 8 against the 2026 Cybertruck. Each complaint is a single owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and neither count is adjusted for how many Cybertrucks Tesla sold. The recall campaigns on file:
| Model year | NHTSA recall campaigns | Campaign numbers |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Cybertruck | 3 | 25V170000, 25V699000, 26V255000 |
| 2026 Cybertruck | 2 | 25V699000, 26V255000 |
Two campaigns cover both model years: 25V699000, an electrical system and software recall filed October 14, 2025, and 26V255000, a wheel lug nut recall filed April 21, 2026. The 2025 also carries a body-structure campaign, 25V170000, filed March 18, 2025, that the 2026 does not. None of this says anything about how the next-generation Roadster will perform once it reaches owners. It is the NHTSA record of Tesla's last new retail model.
What is still unknown about the new Roadster?
As of September 25, 2026, Tesla has not said where the October 1 event will take place or what the car will cost. It also has not said whether the 2017 range and performance figures apply to the car being shown, or when production begins. Tesla's Q2 2026 shareholder update leaves the plant open, and nothing on tesla.com or Tesla's X account has filled in those gaps.
Until October 1, the only Roadster figures on tesla.com are the reservation amounts. A Tesla already in your driveway, including a Cybertruck, can be saved in your garage and checked for new NHTSA recall campaigns as they're filed.