Tesla Roadster
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says a demo of the long-awaited new Roadster is on the horizon, expected within the next few months.
Yesterday, during his podcast, host Joe Rogan asked Musk (around 38 minutes into the more than three-hour episode) if the company was still moving forward with the Roadster, which was first showcased as a concept in 2017. Musk confirmed it.
“We’re getting close to demonstrating the prototype,” he said. “I think this will be…one thing I can guarantee is that this product demo will be unforgettable,” he added, repeating for emphasis: “Unforgettable.”
Musk’s remarks came just a day after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared on X that he had tried to cancel his 2018 Roadster reservation, only to receive a bounce-back email.
“I really was excited for the car!” Altman wrote in a follow-up post. “And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait.” Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI, though their relationship has since become strained.
After the 2017 announcement of the updated Roadster, production was initially slated to begin in 2020 with a launch in 2021. Those plans were repeatedly postponed, first to 2022 and then again to 2023.
In February 2024, Musk shared on X that he planned to deliver the Roadster in 2025. Among the teased features was the ability for the car to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in under a second. Musk also claimed, “I think it has a shot at being the most mind-blowing product demo of all time.”
During his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience yesterday, Musk reiterated much of the same about the demo, while adding some cryptic hints about the Roadster’s potential capabilities.
“Whether it’s good or bad, it’ll be unforgettable,” he joked when Rogan pressed for more details.
When Rogan asked if Musk could elaborate, Musk cited a quote from his “friend” billionaire Peter Thiel: the future was supposed to include flying cars, but here we are without them.
Musk didn’t directly answer whether the Roadster could fly, saying only that Thiel should be able to buy a flying car, and that the demo would reveal more.
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