- Tesla will hold the launch event for its next-generation Roadster on October 1st.
- The event will take place in Waco, Texas, approximately a 90-minute drive from Austin.
- The Roadster project has faced a nine-year wait with multiple delays.
- The event is expected to showcase a jetpack kit developed by SpaceX, enhancing acceleration performance.
Tesla has announced it will hold the launch event for its next-generation Roadster on October 1st, sharing an image on the X platform last Saturday depicting the vehicle as if poised on a launchpad, marked with the date "10.01" at the bottom and captioned "Ready to Launch." The Roadster's order page on Tesla's website also displays the same countdown, with the date falling on a Thursday. The company has not yet disclosed the exact location of the event or whether it will be live-streamed. Stay tuned to @Teslarati for real-time updates.
Event Location and Invitation
Tesla has recently sent formal invitations to reservation holders, confirming that the event will be held in Waco, Texas, approximately a 90-minute drive from its headquarters in Austin, according to a digital ticket shared by Sawyer Merritt on the X platform. While Tesla has not explicitly stated the venue, Waco is close to SpaceX's rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas, which has been previously reported as the planned location for the Roadster jetpack demonstration.
The invitation states that the launch event is scheduled for 8:30 PM Eastern Time on October 1st, with an RSVP required by midnight on September 16th, and admission is restricted to guests aged 21 and over. The invitation is non-transferable.
Roadster Project Timeline
The event announcement comes after a nine-year wait for the project, marked by unimaginable specifications and numerous delays. Elon Musk first unveiled the second-generation Roadster in November 2017 as a surprise reveal during the Tesla Semi event, promising a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of less than two seconds, a top speed exceeding 250 mph, and a range of 620 miles with a 200 kWh battery, with production planned to begin in 2020.
During last November's shareholder meeting, Elon Musk set an April 1st demonstration date, joking that the choice gave him "plausible deniability" as the date was ultimately postponed again, initially to late April, then to "around a month," and then to August.
Whatever Tesla showcases on October 1st, it is expected to center around the jetpack kit developed by SpaceX, which Elon Musk has been describing since 2018. The system, internally codenamed A71, pays homage to the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and reportedly uses cold gas thrusters, with pressure vessels wrapped in composite materials, similar to the fuel tank design used by SpaceX on the Falcon 9. Elon Musk has stated that a Roadster equipped with the jetpack could achieve 60 mph in about 1.1 seconds, with a takeoff acceleration of around 2.75 g, far surpassing the standard model's 1.9-second figure.
It has been reported that this version will not be street-legal and has been discussed as a limited edition sold through a track-only program.
The standard Roadster is still expected to maintain the original base price of US$200,000 (approximately HK$1,560,000) and the Founder's Series price of US$250,000 (approximately HK$1,950,000), set by Tesla in 2017 when it opened reservations for US$50,000 (approximately HK$390,000) and US$250,000 (approximately HK$1,950,000). Tesla's Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, has confirmed that production will take place at the Gigafactory in Texas, with Elon Musk aiming for a 2027 or 2028 release.
year, which is about 12 to 18 months after the company's next month's showcase.
Item Specifications 0-60 mph acceleration time Under 2 seconds Top speed Over 250 mph Range 620 miles Battery capacity 200 kWh Jetpack kit acceleration time About 1.1 seconds
Expectations and Challenges for the Roadster Launch
Tesla's next-generation Roadster launch event has attracted widespread attention, as the project has faced a nine-year wait and multiple delays. The event is not only a test of consumer expectations but also a challenge for Tesla's brand image. With technological advancements, the Roadster's jetpack kit could potentially revolutionize the acceleration performance of electric vehicles, which is significant for market competition. Tesla's success or failure will largely influence its future direction and market position.