When Elon Musk said last year that we’d see the next-generation Tesla Roadster in production form by the end of 2025, we all laughed, because why wouldn’t we? We’re talking about a concept that Tesla first revealed back in 2017 and then never built. Even YouTuber Marques Brownlee gave up and tried to get his $50,000 back. But don’t you worry. The new Tesla Roadster is definitely happening. As AutoEvolution reports, Tesla’s chief designer Franz von Holzhausen just said on a recent podcast that the Roadster is still on track for a late 2025 reveal. Whatever you say, dude.
While speaking on a recent episode of the “Ride The Lightning” podcast (a show for weird Tesla nerds, not electric F-150 fans), von Holzhausen confirmed once again that we’ll see another version of the Roadster by the end of the year. Elon may call it the production version, but will it actually be drivable? Will it even have doors you can open and a cabin you can physically sit in? That, we don’t know.
Still, with this continued talk of a second Roadster reveal, as well as Cybertruck sales being in the toilet, overall sales still struggling in Europe, Tesla struggling in China and the disaster that’s been the robotaxi rollout (if you can even call them robotaxis), it makes sense that Tesla would try to distract the credulous rubes with a shiny new car. If Tesla does reveal a “production” Roadster before the end of the year, I really wouldn’t be surprised.
Hurry up and wait
That said, while Tesla’s official reveal of the production Cybertruck included handing over a handfull of production models to customers and essentially an immediate production start, according to von Holzhausen, that won’t happen with the Roadster reveal that’s 100% still happening for real. Instead, once you see the car, you’ll have to wait another two years for production to actually begin. Since this is Tesla, though, that probably means at least four years, if not longer. Or maybe never. “Never” is still an option and probably the most likely one. After all, Tesla is now an AI/robotics company.
And while we haven’t really gotten any mainstream two-door EVs in the U.S., you also have to wonder what kind of appetite is still there for a six-figure Tesla Roadster. Some wealthy Tesla nerds will probably buy anything Tesla sells, but we already know other automakers are struggling to sell electric hypercars. Aside from some initial interest in this one because of the badge on the hood, do the wealthy really want or need a new Tesla Roadster?
On the podcast, von Holzhausen did say the new Roadster “really looks at the limit of physics,” but could it really be that much quicker than a Lucid Air Sapphire? It’s possible it could be lighter and handle better thanks to its shorter wheelbase, but will it really differentiate itself enough to sell? It’s not like most people will be able to feel the difference between a 0-60 time of 1.79 seconds instead of 1.88 seconds.
Most importantly, though, this car has already been promised for eight years, and it hasn’t happened yet. They also haven’t even shown off the “production” version, and yet, they’re already saying to expect a multi-year wait before deliveries begin. Maybe we’ll see some sort of reveal this year, but will we ever see an actual production roadster? Probably right after Mazda reveals the upcoming rotary-powered RX-7 successor.
