Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that the second-generation Roadster has been delayed yet again. The long-awaited Roadster is now expected to reach production by the end of 2024. Speaking on Twitter Spaces, Musk admitted that Tesla is certainly testing the patience of Roadster reservation holders.
The new Roadster was revealed in 2017 and was originally supposed to enter production in 2020. A 1.9 second 0-60 mph time and 250 mph top speed are the headline figures. The Roadster also has a claimed range of 620 miles with power stemming from a 200 kWh battery pack. It even has seating for 4, despite being a hypercar.
The Roadster is expected to start at around $200,000 with a limited-run Founder’s Series edition coming in at $250,000. For the last 6 years it has been possible to reserve a base Roadster for $50,000.
It will be interesting to see if the Roadster actually does enter production in Q4 2024, 7 years after it was first shown to the world. Tesla clearly doesn’t care too much about premium vehicles anymore and is undoubtedly becoming more and more mainstream.
For example, the automaker isn’t bothering with right-hand drive versions of the Model S and X for he UK, Irish, Australian and Japanese markets. This could suggest the S and X will be discontinued entirely in the near future, with the Model 3 and Y being far more profitable for Tesla. Clearly, high volume products like the 3/Y, Cybertruck, Semi and $25,000 “Model 2” are the priority.
Therefore, does launching the $200k+ Roadster make any sense as Tesla looks to pivot from being a BMW/Audi/Mercedes rival to more of Volkswagen/Toyota competitor? We’re not so sure, although let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
