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Setbacks and delays for Tesla’s promised performance flagship are nothing new, but these latest pushbacks promise to keep fans waiting just a few more weeks... 'probably', according to Musk.
Electric Cars
The second-generation Tesla Roadster has added to its running list of delays and postponements, with news that the flagship electric sports car won’t make its originally planned 1 April debut.
Perhaps realising the risk of unveiling a critical new product on a date usually reserved for light-hearted puns and product parodies, Tesla’s CEO announced that the original unveiling date would not proceed.
The last major update on the Tesla Roadster came in mid-2025, with Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, Lars Moravy, describing it as “an awesome and exciting last best driver’s car.”
At that time, Moravy revealed that Musk got “a little excited” at the demonstrations he was given.
In February 2026, Musk suggested that the Roadster would become the last vehicle Tesla introduces with a steering wheel and pedals, as the EV brand focuses heavily on autonomous products.
April is also set to see the Tesla Cybercab – a two-seat driverless taxi with no physical driver controls for the steering, brakes, or accelerator – enter production.
First revealed as a concept in 2017, the second-generation Tesla Roadster was, at the time, announced with the goal of being the world’s fastest production car, with a targeted 0-97km/h (0-60mph) acceleration claim of 1.9 seconds.
As quicker EVs have hit the market, Musk has promised that base model Roadsters would have a 2.1-second acceleration time, and cold air rocket thrusters on performance versions could result in a 0-97km/h time of 1.1 seconds.
At its initial concept reveal in 2017, the Roadster was promised with a huge 200kWh battery capacity and a driving range of 1000km, promised to be on sale by 2020.
Once the 2020 launch was missed, the Roadster was promised for a 2021 launch, but as that date neared, production timing was pushed back to 2023, then 2024, and again to 2025 before the promised 1 April, 2026 unveiling.
A firm date for the reveal has yet to be announced, other than the “late April” timing mentioned by Musk.
Electric Cars Guide
Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
