Tesla Roadster Available for Order Once Again Following Brief Hold
Reservations require a $50,000 deposit just days before an October 1 reveal event in Waco, Texas.
Tesla has reopened reservations for its long-delayed next-generation Roadster, requiring a $50,000 deposit just days before a scheduled reveal event in Waco, Texas. The move revives a reservation process that was first launched in 2017 but paused when Tesla removed pricing from its website in 2021.
What Happened
The new reservation page requires an immediate $5,000 credit-card payment, described as fully refundable, followed by a $45,000 wire transfer due within 10 days. This structure mirrors the terms Tesla used when it initially collected deposits after unveiling the prototype in 2017. Reservations are not considered final until the wire transfer clears. Tesla has not published a confirmed retail price or production start date on the order page.
The October 1 event is scheduled in Waco, approximately 90 minutes north of Tesla’s Austin headquarters and near SpaceX’s McGregor rocket test site. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established a temporary flight restriction over the McGregor area from September 18 through October 2, consistent with plans for a demonstration involving SpaceX-designed cold-gas thrusters. Elon Musk has previously described this optional package as enabling extreme acceleration or brief hovering. Tesla has stated that the event will include pricing, specifications, and production targets.
Why It Matters
This reopening tests whether new buyers will commit substantial funds before seeing a finalized production vehicle, a significant ask given the project's history. The second-generation Roadster was first shown in November 2017, with promises of production in 2020 and performance metrics including 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, a top speed over 250 mph, and roughly 620 miles of range. Those targets have slipped repeatedly, with production timelines shifting to 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025-2026, and most recently 2027 or 2028 at Gigafactory Texas. Design work has continued, with reports of a sharper, Cybertruck-influenced aesthetic replacing the original curvy prototype.
Original reservation holders who paid $50,000 in 2017, or $250,000 for the Founders Series, have waited nearly nine years without receiving a production car. Some high-profile customers canceled during this period. The October 1 event is intended to answer remaining questions about what those buyers will actually receive and when, potentially restoring confidence in the program's viability.
The Bottom Line
Tesla is once again accepting $50,000 deposits for the next-generation Roadster ahead of an October 1 reveal in Waco. The event is expected to provide the long-awaited pricing, specifications, and production targets for a vehicle that has been in development since 2017.
