“We expect to be in production with Roadster next year. It will be something special.” With those words on Tuesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised fans a long-delayed electric supercar could roll out factory doors in 2025.
Musk spoke on an investor call to discuss second-quarter results. The Roadster comment was a rare bit of good news on the call. The company “Tuesday reported a 45 percent drop in profit in the three months between April and June, a result of the electric car company’s sluggish sales,” the New York Times explains.
“Shares of Tesla fell about 8% in trading after Tuesday’s closing bell,” the AP notes.
A Sports Coupe With “Rockety-y Stuff”
Tesla’s first automotive product was a tiny open-top roadster sold from 2008 to 2012. You may know it from its trip into space — Musk sent his personal copy toward Mars in 2018 with the help of one of his other companies, rocket maker SpaceX. (Editor’s note: We know the rocket’s trajectory can be described in more precise terms. Please feel free to do that in the comments section — it’s not critical to understanding this story.)
The company has long planned a sequel to the Roadster. Tesla announced plans to launch a second-generation version as early as 2017. Thanks to its hardtop design, this one isn’t a true roadster but is gorgeous – a slithering small 2-door with oversized wheels that takes the Tesla design language to its sleekest and most aggressive.
Musk has made extraordinary promises about the car and has taken $50,000 deposits against a promised price of $250,000.
He has suggested a zero-to-sixty time of under one second with the help of rocket boosters. Yes, you read that right. No, they will likely not be road-legal. Analysts speculate that Musk is likely talking about a compressed air system usable only in track conditions. It would likely use much of the car’s battery to compress the air. Experts also say it might destroy tires quickly.
The fastest accelerating road-legal car in the world today from zero to 60 mph is probably the Rimac Nevera. Also an electric vehicle (EV), the Nevera does the sprint in 1.74 seconds. Rimac engineers have said they believe Musk’s claims are possible based on computer simulations.
This Announcement Is Not a Delay
Musk has delayed the Roadster’s promised delivery date several times. What is most remarkable about this week’s announcement is that it mirrors what he said in March.
“We’ve completed most of the engineering,” Musk said Tuesday. That could mean production is finally in reach.
Still, we’d encourage fans to keep their expectations in check.
Musk made similarly outlandish boasts about the company’s unique Cybertruck, including the ability to function as a boat, tow 14,000 pounds, and drive for 500 miles between charges.
The finished Cybertruck missed every one of those targets, but it didn’t seem to matter. Tesla fans have ordered more Cybertrucks than the company can build for several years. Last month, the Cybertruck was the best-selling vehicle in America, priced over $100,000.
