Tesla has reopened reservations for its long-delayed next-generation Roadster, asking customers to put down $50,000 weeks before the company unveils a redesigned version of the vehicle.
According to Tesla’s reservation portal, securing a spot requires an initial, fully refundable $5,000 credit card payment. Customers must then make a $45,000 wire transfer within 10 days to complete the reservation.
The renewed push for reservations comes nearly nine years after CEO Elon Musk first unveiled a prototype of the next-generation Roadster in 2017. Following years of delays, Tesla is preparing to unveil the redesigned vehicle on Oct. 1 at an event in Texas.
“New Tesla Roadster Unveil 10.01,” Musk recently wrote on social media platform X after Tesla posted a “Go for launch” teaser for the event. Musk has also said the presentation will be a “banger” and said during a recent appearance at the All-In Summit that the company needs a live audience to vouch that what they see “is not AI.”
The event could include a demonstration of a limited-edition Roadster equipped with cold-gas thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX, according to recent reporting. Tesla’s teaser imagery appears to lean into that possibility, showing the vehicle against a launch-themed backdrop.
The Roadster program has reportedly evolved significantly from its earlier design. Tesla abandoned one approach based on Model S Plaid components in favor of developing an all-new carbon-fiber hypercar, according to The Information.
Tesla originally unveiled the next-generation Roadster in November 2017 and said deliveries would begin in 2020. At the time, the company advertised a $200,000 base price, acceleration from zero to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds and a 620-mile range. Tesla also took $250,000 payments for a limited “Founders Series” version.
The vehicle never entered production as planned and has faced repeated delays in the years since.
It remains unclear what Tesla will charge for the redesigned Roadster or how the company will handle customers who placed reservations years ago. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment about reservation priority or updated vehicle specifications.
Reuters contributed to this report.