Tesla still hasn’t put a price on the new Roadster. What it has published is a reservation form. Since the car’s October 15, 2026 reveal at SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas, test site, Tesla’s U.S. reservation page asks for $5,000 up front, fully refundable, plus $45,000 within 10 days for the base Performance trim. The thruster-equipped Thrust trim takes the same $5,000 and then $245,000 within 10 days, WIRED reported. The flying Rocket trim can’t be reserved at all: it’s invite-only.
The Tesla Roadster release date is now a production target of 2028, which Elon Musk gave on stage. That’s eight years after the 2020 delivery date Tesla promised when it first showed this car in 2017. Here’s what Tesla has actually confirmed on price, timing and specs, and where the numbers are still company targets or outside reporting.
Tesla Roadster price: what $50,000 and $250,000 actually buy
Those are reservation payments, not sticker prices. According to Tesla’s reservation terms, as reported by Business Insider, Tesla is still “working on what options, features and hardware the vehicle will have,” the reservation amounts are estimates, and the final purchase price will be confirmed closer to the start of production. The payment goes toward the car. The terms also say Tesla “cannot guarantee when your vehicle will actually be delivered or if it will be delivered.”
The form adds its own conditions: a reservation isn’t final until payment is received, it can be canceled if the second payment isn’t made within 10 days, and “refunds for modifications will not be issued.” Reporting on the U.S. selector noted Thrust is limited to one order per customer.
For context, the 2017 Roadster was advertised as a $200,000 car, with $50,000 deposits and $250,000 for one of 1,000 Founders Series cars. Tesla hasn’t said whether 2017 reservation holders keep a place in line, and it hasn’t said whether the old $200,000 base price still stands.
The three Tesla Roadster trims
Tesla lists three versions on its Roadster page. All three get the fan-driven suction system that sucks the car to the road (strong enough, Tesla says, to hold it upside down when stationary). The differences are in the thrusters and seats.
| Trim | Tesla’s label | Seats | Thrusters | Reservation (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | “Road ready” | 2 | None; active aero and suction system | $5,000 + $45,000 within 10 days |
| Thrust | “Race ready,” limited release | 2 | Rear cold-gas thrusters for acceleration | $5,000 + $245,000 within 10 days |
| Rocket | “Air ready,” invite only | 1 | Thrusters around the perimeter; “full flight system” | Not open to public reservation |
Tesla’s footnote on the Rocket reads: “Not approved for public road use,” and it’s “not available in all regions.” The flight features on the product page are “available with the Rocket trim only.”
Tesla Roadster specs: confirmed, claimed and reported
Tesla hasn’t posted a formal spec sheet with battery size, weight or power. The numbers below come from Tesla’s website and event, as reported, or from Tesla executives’ interviews. Treat every one as a company figure for a car that’s two years from production.
- 0-60 mph: Tesla’s site lists under 1 second for the Thrust trim. At the event, Tesla said the car ran 0-60 in 0.81 seconds, and Musk said the production car should do better. The Verge, reading Tesla’s updated site after the event, listed targets of under 1.6 seconds for Performance, under 0.9 seconds for Thrust and under 0.59 seconds for Rocket.
- Range: TechCrunch and CNBC-TV18 report Tesla lists 300 miles for all three trims. Tesla engineering VP Lars Moravy told Top Gear real-world range would be about 310 to 320 miles depending on model.
- Top speed: Tesla quotes more than 230 mph, per TechCrunch. InsideEVs, summarizing the Top Gear interview, reported a current 214 mph with a 330 mph target. Musk’s own goal is “Mach 0.5, maybe a little higher,” which is a wish, not a spec.
- Thrusters: Moravy said the Rocket uses 10 cold-gas thrusters fed by 600 liters of compressed air, and the tank can be recharged. Top Gear reported the Thrust trim’s 200-liter tank empties in about six seconds and needs refilling at a station.
- Drivetrain and charging: per Top Gear and InsideEVs, all versions are rear-wheel drive with two rear motors for torque vectoring, the lightest weighs about 3,700 pounds (1,700 kg), and the pack accepts up to 500 kW from a V4 Supercharger. Tesla hasn’t published battery capacity.
- Cabin and chassis: Tesla’s site describes a yoke designed for steer-by-wire, a fixed seat position, a center touchscreen with two smaller forward displays, and magnesium, titanium and carbon fiber throughout.
Compare that with 2017’s promises: 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, a top speed over 250 mph, a 200 kWh battery and up to 620 miles of range, as The Verge recapped. The new car is much quicker on paper, with roughly half the range.
Tesla Roadster release date: nine years of slips
The Roadster’s timeline is the main reason to read “2028” skeptically. Tesla unveiled the car at the end of its Semi event in 2017 and said deliveries would start in 2020. Musk pushed it back in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024, per TechCrunch. Late in 2025 he said he wanted to reveal it by the end of that year, then moved the demo to April 1, 2026, joking that an April Fools’ date gave him “some deniability.” The reveal then slid to October 1, 2026 and finally to October 15 after a severe weather forecast, as Car and Driver reported.
On October 15, Musk said Tesla would build the car in 2028. Tesla hasn’t named a factory, a production volume or a first-delivery quarter. If you want to see what the flying Rocket demo did and didn’t prove, we’ve broken that down in Can the Tesla Roadster actually fly?
The next place to look for real numbers is Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call on October 21. A price, a factory or a production rate from Musk on that call would tell buyers more than another stunt video.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the new Tesla Roadster cost?
Tesla hasn’t announced a purchase price. Reserving the Performance trim costs $50,000 in total ($5,000 refundable up front plus $45,000 within 10 days), and the Thrust trim costs $250,000 to reserve. Tesla’s terms say the final price will be confirmed closer to production.
When is the Tesla Roadster release date?
Elon Musk said at the October 15, 2026 reveal that production will start in 2028. Tesla hasn’t given a delivery quarter or factory. The same car was first promised for 2020 deliveries.
Can you reserve the flying Tesla Roadster?
No. The Rocket trim, the one with the full flight system, is invite-only and can’t be selected on Tesla’s public reservation form. Tesla also says it isn’t approved for public road use.
Is the Tesla Roadster deposit refundable?
The first $5,000 is listed as fully refundable on Tesla’s reservation page. The form also says “refunds for modifications will not be issued,” and the reservation can be canceled if the second payment isn’t made within 10 days. Read Tesla’s current terms before you pay.
What is the Tesla Roadster’s range and top speed?
Tesla lists 300 miles of range and a top speed above 230 mph, according to TechCrunch and CNBC-TV18. Tesla engineering VP Lars Moravy told Top Gear real-world range should be about 310 to 320 miles. None of these figures has been independently tested.
Sources
- Tesla, “Reserve Your Roadster” (U.S. reservation page): tesla.com/en_US/roadster/reserve
- Tesla, Roadster product page: tesla.com/roadster
- Tesla, “Roadster Event” (official livestream video), October 15, 2026: youtube.com/watch?v=qt5p-_tE8d0
- TechCrunch, “Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style,” October 15, 2026: techcrunch.com
- The Verge, “The Tesla Roadster flew, drove upside down, and hit 60mph in under a second,” October 15, 2026: theverge.com
- WIRED, “The Tesla Roadster 2 Is Here, and It Flies,” October 15, 2026: wired.com
- Business Insider, “3 fine-print disclaimers from Musk and Tesla about the new flying Roadster,” October 16, 2026: businessinsider.com
- Top Gear, “The Tesla Roadster has finally landed: thrusters, 0-60mph in 0.59s… and flight,” October 2026: topgear.com
- InsideEVs, “The Tesla Roadster Has Over 1 MW Of Power. Here Are The Full Specs,” October 2026: insideevs.com
- Car and Driver, “Elon Musk Says the New Tesla Roadster Will Be Revealed Very Soon” (updated with the Oct 15 date): caranddriver.com
- Craig and Landreth, “Tesla Roadster Reveal: Thrusters, Trims and Reservations,” October 15, 2026: craigandlandrethauto.com
All sources accessed October 16, 2026.
Related: Can the Tesla Roadster actually fly? · Tesla Optimus status, October 2026 · Latest news
Last updated: October 16, 2026. To report an error, see our corrections page. Articles are drafted with AI assistance and reviewed and edited by an editor; see our editorial policy.
