In a brief however humorous interplay, Jay Leno needed to remind Tesla executives that the Roadster nonetheless exists – kind of, because it has been delayed seemingly indefinitely.
The subsequent-generation Roadster has develop into principally a operating gag within the Tesla group.
I’ve requested Grok, Elon Musk’s truth-seeking AI, to compile all of the occasions the CEO introduced timelines to convey the Roadster to manufacturing and examine them to actuality:
- Preliminary Announcement (November 2017):
- Introduced Launch: 2020.
- Actuality: Delayed; no manufacturing by 2020. Revised to mid-to-late 2021 in July 2020.
- July 2020 Replace:
- Introduced Launch: Mid-to-late 2021.
- Actuality: Delayed; no manufacturing by 2021. Revised to 2022 in January 2021.
- January 2021 Replace:
- Introduced Launch: 2022.
- Actuality: Delayed; no manufacturing by 2022. Revised to 2023 in September 2021.
- September 2021 Replace:
- Introduced Launch: 2023.
- Actuality: Delayed; no manufacturing by 2023. Revised to 2024 in Could 2023.
- Could 2023 Replace:
- Introduced Launch: 2024.
- Actuality: Delayed; no manufacturing by 2024. Revised to 2025 in February and October 2024.
- February 2024 and October 2024 Updates:
- Introduced Launch: 2025 (manufacturing model unveil by finish of 2024, deliveries in 2025).
- Actuality: Present goal; not but launched as of February 11, 2025 and the manufacturing model was not unveiled in 2024.
We’re arising on a decade because the unique unveiling, and Tesla has nothing to point out for it regardless of not having launched a brand new automobile apart from the Cybertruck over the past 5 years.
Based mostly on Musk’s final replace, Tesla was speculated to unveil the manufacturing model by the top of 2024, which didn’t occur, after which begin manufacturing in 2025.
Tesla has principally gone silent on this system apart from being listed “in growth” and not using a manufacturing location for years in its record of car applications (nonetheless the identical as of final month’s replace):
The present state of the Tesla Roadster program couldn’t have been higher illustrated than by this fast dialog between Jay Leno and Tesla executives Franz von Holzhausen and Lars Moravy.
As now we have usually reported, Tesla doesn’t have a press relations division and doesn’t preserve any relationships with US media apart from with a couple of “pleasant” publications and media personalities, together with Jay Leno.
Tesla gave Leno an unique look and first drive on the new Mannequin Y, which isn’t anticipated to hit US roads till subsequent month:
In the course of the drive, Leno requested von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer. and Moravy, Tesla VP of engineering, if the brand new Mannequin Y would include a three-motor powertrain.
Moravy answered:
“We don’t make three, only one or two. Three is reserved for Plaid and the Beast.”
By that, he meant the highest efficiency “Plaid” variations of Mannequin S and Mannequin X, which do include a tri-motor powertrain, and the Cyberbeast model of the Cybertruck.
Then Leno needed to remind them that they stated the Roadster would even have three motors:
“and the Roadster?”
Then, each executives repeated “and the Roadster” earlier than rapidly transferring on.
Electrek’s Take
I feel the percentages of Tesla launching the brand new Roadster this yr simply crashed. Not that they had been very excessive to start out with.
It’s true that the Roadster wouldn’t be very impactful as a automobile program, however it might make issues enjoyable and thrilling at Tesla once more with some cutting-edge enjoyable EVs to drive quite than every little thing being about self-driving.
It could be a enjoyable distraction amid failing FSD deployment, crashing gross sales, decrease margins, and so forth.
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