Tesla Roadster debut delayed – again – due to bad weather
Tesla has once again delayed the debut of the long-awaited Roadster supercar, due to bad weather at the Texas launch venue.
Earlier this month, Tesla announced that the final version of the Roadster would be revealed on 1 October – almost nine years since the prototype was unveiled and six years after it was originally planned to go on sale.
However, with just two days to go until the wraps were due to finally come off, the firm has announced that the event will be pushed back two weeks to 15 October, due to concerns about the weather.
“We’ve been tracking the weather closely with local meteorologists, but given the severe conditions predicted and because this event can only be held outdoors, we’ve made the difficult decision to reschedule,” the company said in a post on X.
The reveal event was planned to take place in Waco, Texas – where it had been speculated that the eponymous Lake Waco could serve as the venue for the Roadster’s promised ability to hover or float across bodies of water. Confirmation that the launch “can only be held outdoors” would seem to support this speculation.
Tesla has not confirmed whether it will stick with the original location for the rescheduled launch, nor has it indicated at the size or precise nature of the event. It had invited Roadster deposit holders on a non-transferrable basis, but has never said how many orders it has taken for the car.
The second-generation Roadster, the follow-up to Tesla’s first car, was originally planned to be a drop-top 2+2 with a 0-60mph time of 1.9sec, a top speed of more than 250mph and a a 620-mile range – figures that outpunched all production EVs at its 2017 debut and which would still outclass most today.
Since the concept’s surprise debut at the launch event for the Tesla Semi lorry, it has been repeatedly delayed. The original 2020 launch plans were pushed back to 2022, then 2022, 2023 and 2024, before a long period of silence as the company shifted focus to other projects, including the self-driving Cybercab, which is now in commercial service.
The earlier announcement for the 1 October reveal came with the strapline ‘Go for launch’ – a slogan that references to the optional rocket thrusters that Musk previously said would allow the Roadster to hit 60mph from rest in just 1.1sec – almost twice as quick as a Formula 1 car.
The sole teaser image published by Tesla gives little away beyond the exhaust plumes of the promised thrusters, claimed to have been developed by Musk-owned SpaceX. But visible details including a full-width rear light bar and a huge wing look to depart dramatically from the concept, which was a subtle and minimalist coupé derived from the Model S saloon.
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