After nearly nine years of delay, Tesla has finally unveiled its redesigned second-generation Roadster, and it is anything but conventional.
At a presentation in Texas on October 15, Elon Musk showcased the electric sports car equipped with compressed-air thrusters and a powerful suction system, demonstrating manoeuvres that looked more at home in a science-fiction film than a car launch. The vehicle drove up an inverted ramp, performed aerial rotations, and landed back on the pavement using its propulsion system.
Tesla says production is expected to begin in 2028, but it has yet to announce a price. The launch comes almost nine years after the company first revealed the next-generation Roadster in 2017, promising a high-performance electric car that would push the boundaries of acceleration and range.
The redesigned Roadster represents a departure from the conventional electric sports car.
Developed in collaboration with SpaceX, the vehicle uses a system of compressed-air thrusters alongside powerful fans designed to generate suction and hold the car against a surface. During the demonstration, Tesla showed the vehicle executing dramatic manoeuvres that would be impossible for a conventional production car.
Musk has claimed the Roadster can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in approximately one second. That figure remains a manufacturer claim demonstrated in a presentation, rather than an independently verified production-car performance result.
The collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX also highlights the unusual relationship between Musk’s automotive and aerospace businesses.
Tesla brings electric-vehicle engineering and manufacturing expertise, while SpaceX contributes experience in propulsion and aerospace systems. The Roadster provides a visible platform for combining those capabilities in a consumer-facing product.
However, the Roadster’s history makes its next phase particularly important.
Tesla first announced the second-generation model in 2017, and several customers paid substantial deposits to reserve vehicles. Production expectations subsequently slipped several times as the company prioritised other projects.
While the latest launch might renew interest, it can not erase that history. So, for Tesla, the challenge now is to move from an extraordinary demonstration to a product that can be manufactured, delivered and serviced. For investors and the broader automotive industry, the Roadster will be a test of whether technological spectacle can translate into execution.
