Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared a quick update on the next-gen Roadster during the Q2 2024 earnings call. As per the chief executive, most of the vehicle’s engineering has been completed, but there are still some upgrades that Tesla would like to include in the upcoming all-electric supercar. He also noted that Tesla is looking to start the production of the next-generation Roadster next year.
“With respect to Roadster, we’ve completed most of the engineering. And I think there’s still some upgrades we want to make to it, but we expect to be in production with Roadster next year. It will be something special. Like the whole thing might be,” Musk said in response to an investor question at the Q2 2024 earnings call.
When the next-generation Roadster was unveiled with the Tesla Semi in late 2017, the vehicle was announced with a 0-60 mph time of 1.99 seconds, a top speed of over 250 mph, and a range of 620 miles per charge, thanks to a 200 kWh battery pack. Later comments from Musk hinted at a “SpaceX Package” for the all-electric supercar, which would bring even more performance.
That was over six years ago. The Tesla Semi, the vehicle unveiled at the same time as the next-generation Roadster, has been in limited production since late 2022. The specs of the Roadster, such as its 1.99-second 0-60 mph time, has been achieved by the Tesla Model S Plaid. Other high-performance cars like the Lucid Air Sapphire have even exceeded the next-generation Roadster’s 1.99-second 0-60 mph time.
Considering how late the next-generation Roadster has become, Tesla would have to ensure that the all-electric supercar is something special. Elon Musk hinted as much in a previous comment on X, when he stated that the next-generation Roadster will be an actual collaboration with SpaceX. He also stated that Tesla is targeting a sub-1-second 0-60 mph time for the upcoming vehicle.
This, Musk noted, is to highlight the halo status of the next-generation Roadster. “It would also obviously be ridiculous for the Roadster to achieve simply the same 0-60 mph time as Model S, even though it is a 2 door fully performance-oriented vehicle,” Musk said.
