When the second-gen Roadster was first unveiled back in 2017, it was positioned as the ultimate electric performance car: sleek, fast, and disruptive. That promise quickly cemented anticipation, but also locked Tesla into a product cycle that has dragged on for years. The car remains a concept in the public eye, with no clear sign of tangible progress—aside from statements made by company executives.
The delay is emblematic of a pattern Tesla watchers know well. The company often pushes bold timelines and specs, only to readjust expectations as years go by. For prospective Roadster customers and the EV market at large, the wait continues—and with it, the scrutiny.
Tesla Plans a Roadster Demo Before Year’s End
Tesla’s chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, recently confirmed on the Ride the Lightning podcast that a Roadster demo is still planned for 2025. “We are planning on this year,” he said, referencing a previously teased “most epic demo ever” that CEO Elon Musk had hinted at earlier in the year. With just over two months left until New Year’s Day, the company is under pressure to deliver something—anything—tangible.
According to Carscoops, von Holzhausen insisted the car is not shelved but instead “fashionably late.” His reassurance comes as speculation around the Roadster’s fate intensifies. Whether or not a demo appears in 2025, the fact remains that the model has spent eight years in limbo, stuck between promise and production.
Production Is Now “Definitely Within Two Years”
Pressed on when customers might actually receive their vehicles, von Holzhausen replied, “Definitely within two years.” If accurate, this timeline would place initial deliveries near the end of 2027. But Tesla’s reputation for missed deadlines looms large, especially in light of how long the Roadster has already been delayed.
The company has continued to accept $50,000 reservations for the Roadster throughout this extended wait, a practice that has drawn criticism. Musk originally promised deliveries would begin in 2020. Five years later, early buyers still have nothing to show beyond the receipt.
Despite the delays, Tesla continues to tout ambitious specs for the car: 0–60 mph in under two seconds, top speeds above 250 mph, and a range of up to 620 miles. The automaker has even floated the inclusion of rocket-style thrusters, but as of now, these remain purely theoretical.
Years of Overpromising Weigh on Public Trust
Tesla’s delays with the Roadster echo its rocky rollout of other products. The Cybertruck also arrived late, with specs and pricing that didn’t match earlier announcements. These repeated shifts in product strategy have led many to question the company’s reliability when it comes to fulfilling its bold claims.
While von Holzhausen says the Roadster “will be worth the wait,” the prolonged development has left even Tesla enthusiasts skeptical. For some, the Roadster now symbolizes the broader tension between Tesla’s innovation and its execution—a sleek idea trapped in the headlights of its own hype.
