Elon Musk has recently hinted repeatedly that Tesla is poised to unveil a major upgrade to its highly anticipated Roadster sports car. According to Business Insider, the automaker has been intensifying behind-the-scenes development efforts on this electric sports car this summer.
Insiders revealed this marks the first substantive progress in over a year for the project. Vehicle design sketches seen by insiders earlier this year showed the car features a two-seat layout and butterfly doors, differing from the four-seat prototype Musk unveiled in 2017. The initial concept design incorporated conventional doors and a typical sports car silhouette.
One source indicated that based on current progress, mass production remains at least two to three years away.
The design process for new vehicles is often subject to change, and the final product form remains unclear. Sources noted Tesla's design team has a history of exploring multiple design options.
LinkedIn data analysis shows the company hired at least five engineers in California between June and August this year specifically for “aerodynamic prototype vehicle” development.
Insiders revealed that Tesla has largely suspended development of the Roadster sports car following layoffs in April 2024. The LinkedIn profile of project lead David Zhang indicates he departed the company in July of the same year.
“We were all eager to dive into developing the Tesla Roadster,” Musk stated during the October 2024 earnings call. “We are indeed advancing the project, but we must prioritize matters with more profound implications for global well-being.”
He also thanked Tesla's “long-suffering reservation holders.” Recently, reservation holders including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and tech blogger Marquis Brownlee announced they had canceled their orders and requested refunds of their $50,000 deposits. (Musk stated Altman's refund was processed within 24 hours.)
The first-generation Roadster, Tesla's inaugural mass-produced vehicle, debuted in 2008 based on the Lotus Elise chassis. Musk announced the second-generation sports car in 2017, promising 2020 deliveries—a timeline that has since faced multiple delays.
Over the past few months, Tesla has been steadily revealing details about the development progress of this new vehicle.
Elon Musk recently stated on the Joe Rogan podcast that the next-generation Roadster sports car “has the potential to be the most memorable product launch in history.” He added that Tesla plans to showcase the model “hopefully by the end of the year.”
Musk previously disclosed that the vehicle will collaborate with SpaceX, claiming it will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in under one second, while also hinting at the possibility of introducing a flying car.
During the podcast, he revisited this concept: “My friend Peter Thiel once lamented that flying cars should exist in the future but don't. I believe if Peter wants a flying car, he should be able to buy one.”
Tesla's Chief Design Officer Franz von Holzhausen confirmed last month that the Roadster prototype unveiling remains scheduled for the second half of 2025. The company also posted job listings in California for manufacturing roles related to the model.
In August, Tesla secured a patent for an aerodynamic system enabling vehicles to hug the road at high speeds.
Jin Jae-wook, Professor of Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics at the University of Southampton, noted the patented design could be applied to any Tesla model. However, he added that cost considerations likely mean the system would be reserved for higher-end vehicles.
Earnings decks dating back to January 2020 have said that the vehicle is in design "development."
