Tesla will unveil its next-generation Roadster on Thursday, October 15, in a livestream on X that starts at 7:55 p.m. Central (8:55 p.m. Eastern, 5:55 p.m. Pacific). The event was first set for October 1 and was called off on September 28 because of weather. Elon Musk has promised a big show, writing that “this demo will be a BANGER, probably metaphorically, though some chance literally.” We wrote this before the event, so nothing here describes what Tesla actually showed.
What is confirmed
Tesla confirmed the stream time on X. It said it had been tracking the weather with local meteorologists and that the show “can only be held outdoors.” Musk blamed high winds for the two-week delay. Tesla has not named the site. Unofficial accounts put it near Waco, Texas, and say it is invite-only for Roadster reservation holders.
What is promised, not proven
At the 2017 reveal, Tesla promised a four-seat Roadster with 620 miles of range, a top speed above 250 mph and a 0 to 60 mph time of 1.9 seconds. It listed the base car at $200,000 and the Founders Series at $250,000. Musk has since said a version with the optional SpaceX thruster package could reach 60 mph in about a second. No finished car has been shown to the public that backs up those numbers. Production was first promised for 2020, and Musk has pointed to 2027 or 2028.
Tesla has not described the demo itself. Unconfirmed accounts say the car will run without a driver and that guests will be kept several hundred yards back. Some fans also noticed that 7:55 p.m. is 19:55 on a 24-hour clock, and 1955 is the year Marty McFly travels to in Back to the Future. Tesla has not confirmed a link.
Our take: a livestream demo is not a spec sheet. Until Tesla publishes a price, range and power figures and a production date, the numbers above are promises, and this car has a long record of slipped dates. After Thursday, the useful questions are simple: is there a firm price, what are the deposit terms, and when would a customer get one? Tesla reports third-quarter results six days later, which we covered in Tesla Sets Its Q3 Earnings Report for October 21.
