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Roadster

The new Roadster's big night moves to October 15

Tesla pushed the outdoor demo, reportedly involving SpaceX cold-gas thrusters, from October 1 to October 15 at SpaceX's McGregor site. Reservations cost $50,000.

By TeslaRecon Desk//1 min read

The 10-second read

  • The demo moved from Oct 1 to Thursday, Oct 15, citing severe weather; the event “can only be held outdoors”.
  • Venue: SpaceX's McGregor test site near Waco, Texas.
  • Reservations reopened Sep 20 at $50,000 ($5k by card + $45k by wire).
  • Production is guided for “2027 or 2028”. The car was first unveiled in 2017 for 2020.

Tesla's next-generation Roadster demonstration is now set for Thursday, October 15, 2026, two weeks later than planned. Tesla cited "severe conditions predicted" and said the event "can only be held outdoors". Musk later pointed to high winds.

Why outdoors

The venue is SpaceX's McGregor, Texas test site near Waco. Reports say the demo involves the car hovering on a SpaceX cold-gas thruster package with no one inside, a nod to the "SpaceX option" Musk has talked about since 2018. Treat that as reported, not confirmed, until the event.

Money down

Reservations reopened September 20 at $50,000: $5,000 by card plus a $45,000 wire. Price and specs are due at the event. Production is guided for "2027 or 2028".

The long road

The Roadster was unveiled in November 2017 with a 2020 production date. Nine years later it's a halo product again, timed six days before Tesla's Q3 earnings on October 21. Expect attention; expect the numbers to matter more.

What to watch on the 15th

  • Price and performance claims versus what Tesla commits to in writing.
  • A production timeline with a factory attached.
  • Whether the thruster demo is a product feature or a stunt.

It's on our calendar. We'll cover it the same night.

Sources

  1. 01Electrek — Roadster demo delayed to Oct 15 (Sep 28, 2026)
  2. 02InsideEVs — Roadster reveal delayed
  3. 03Electrek — $50,000 Roadster reservations reopen (Sep 20, 2026)

TeslaRecon is an independent publication. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Tesla, Inc. Tesla, Model S/3/X/Y, Cybertruck, Optimus and FSD are trademarks of Tesla, Inc., used here only to identify the subject of our reporting.

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