The new Tesla Roadster has no price yet. After the October 15, 2026 reveal, Tesla is taking reservations, not orders: $50,000 for the road-going Performance trim and a reported $250,000 for the thruster-equipped Thrust trim. Below is every number Tesla has actually published, side by side with the 2017 promises, so you can tell what is confirmed, what changed and what is still a guess.
- Price: not announced. Reservation is $50,000 (Performance, US) and a reported $250,000 (Thrust). Rocket is invite-only.
- 0-60 mph (Tesla claims): under 1.6 s (Performance), under 0.9 s (Thrust), under 0.59 s (Rocket).
- Top speed / range: 230+ mph and 300+ miles, not independently tested.
- Production: 2028 target. The car was first promised for 2020.
Tesla Roadster Price: What Is Actually Known
The single most searched question about the Roadster is how much it costs, and the honest answer is that nobody outside Tesla knows. Tesla's reservation agreement, as summarised by Not a Tesla App, says the estimated purchase price is only an estimate and that options, hardware and packaging are still being finalised. The real price will appear when the order configurator goes live.
What we do have are three anchors:
- 2017 announcement: $200,000 base and $250,000 for the Founder's Series. Those prices are nine years old and were set for a car with a different battery, design and no thrusters.
- 2026 reservations: $50,000 for Performance in the US. CnEVPost reports a 332,000 yuan (about $49,390) refundable deposit in China.
- Thrust trim: reporting from the reservation page lists $250,000, again as a deposit against an unknown total.
Our read: a $250,000 deposit on Thrust implies a final price well above that, because deposits are normally a fraction of the car. A sub-$200,000 Performance trim is possible but unconfirmed. Treat any "official price" you see online as speculation until Tesla publishes the configurator.
Tesla Roadster Price & Specs by Trim
Tesla split the car into three versions at the reveal. Figures below are Tesla's claims as reported by Teslarati and CnEVPost; none has been independently verified.
| Trim | Reservation | Seats | 0-60 mph | Thrusters | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | $50,000 | 2 | < 1.6 s | None (active aero + suction) | Public reservations; road-legal version |
| Thrust | ~$250,000 (reported) | 2 | < 0.9 s | Rear cold-gas thrusters | Limited production |
| Rocket | Invite only | 1 | < 0.59 s | Thrusters around the car | Invite only; not approved for public roads |
Across trims Tesla quotes a top speed above 230 mph and range above 300 miles. It has not published battery capacity, motor output, weight or dimensions. Musk said of the Performance version: "this will be the actual car that's on the roads", which is the clearest signal that Thrust and Rocket are low-volume showpieces.
If you are budgeting for any Tesla, our Tesla payment calculator and Tesla insurance calculator show what the monthly cost of a high-value car looks like before you commit a deposit.
2026 Roadster vs the 2017 Prototype
The 2017 prototype came with headline numbers that Tesla never delivered. The 2026 car swaps some of them for very different claims.
| Spec | 2017 announcement | 2026 reveal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $200,000 base / $250,000 Founder's | Not announced (reservations only) |
| Fastest 0-60 mph | 1.9 s | < 0.59 s (Rocket), < 1.6 s (Performance) |
| Top speed | 250+ mph | 230+ mph |
| Range | 620 miles | 300+ miles |
| Thrusters | "SpaceX package" teased | Cold-gas thrusters on Thrust and Rocket |
| Production | 2020 | 2028 target |
The biggest quiet change is range. The 2017 claim of 620 miles is gone, replaced by "300+ miles". The fastest acceleration claims now depend on thrusters, which is also why the top trims are limited or not road-legal. We cover the reveal itself, and the doubts about the car used for the stunt, in Tesla Roadster Reveal: The Scandal Behind the Stunt.
How the $50,000 Reservation Works
- Pay $5,000 at checkout in your Tesla account.
- Wire the remaining $45,000 within 10 days. Reporting on the terms says reservations can be cancelled if the balance arrives late.
- Wait for the configurator. Final price, options and delivery window come later; the reservation does not lock a price.
Reporting on the US terms describes the full $50,000 as refundable. In China, Tesla lists the deposit as fully refundable but says differences caused by later order changes are not. Read the current agreement in your account; terms can change before configurators open.
Practical tip: a refundable deposit still ties up $50,000 for two years or more with no interest. At a 4% savings rate that is roughly $2,000 a year in lost interest, a real cost of holding a place in line.
💡 Looking for Tesla's other expensive launch? Here are current Cybertruck and Semi prices.
Tesla Roadster Release Date & Production
Musk set a 2028 production target at the reveal, and Teslarati reports he said production would follow the demo by 12 to 18 months. Tesla gave no delivery date. History matters here: the Roadster was announced in November 2017 for 2020, and the reveal itself slipped from October 1 to October 15, 2026 because of weather. Treat 2028 as the earliest realistic date, not a promise.
Musk also said he is "not sure it moves the needle massively from a revenue standpoint", and analysts quoted by Bloomberg agreed the car will not change Tesla's earnings outlook. For investors, the Roadster is a brand halo, not a profit driver; see our Tesla stock forecast for what actually moves TSLA.
How the Roadster Compares to Other Hypercars
On paper, Rocket's sub-0.6-second claim is far beyond any road car, because thrusters are doing work that tyres cannot. The road-legal Performance trim at under 1.6 seconds would still beat production EVs such as the Lucid Air Sapphire and the Rimac Nevera, both quoted at just under 2 seconds. The difference is that those cars have been tested by independent media, while the Roadster has not.
Should You Reserve a Tesla Roadster?
- Reserve if you want an early place in line, can park $50,000 for years and accept that the final price may be well above $200,000.
- Wait if you need a firm price, delivery date or independent tests. Nothing about the Roadster is verified outside Tesla's own event.
- Skip the Thrust and Rocket trims unless you are buying a collectible: one is limited, the other is not road-legal.
FAQ: Tesla Roadster Price & Specs
How much is the new Tesla Roadster?
Tesla has not announced a final price. What you pay today is a reservation: $50,000 for the Performance trim in the US ($5,000 up front, $45,000 within 10 days) and a reported $250,000 for the Thrust trim. The one-seat Rocket trim is invite-only. Tesla's reservation terms say the final price will be confirmed when the order configurator goes live. For reference, the 2017 prototype was announced at $200,000 (base) and $250,000 (Founder's Series).
What is the Tesla Roadster 0-60 time?
Tesla claims under 1.6 seconds for the Performance trim, under 0.9 seconds for Thrust and under 0.59 seconds for the one-seat Rocket trim, which uses cold-gas thrusters. These are company claims from the October 15, 2026 reveal; no independent test has been published.
When will the Tesla Roadster be released?
Elon Musk set a 2028 production target at the October 2026 reveal and said production would follow the demo by roughly 12 to 18 months. Tesla has not given a delivery date, and the Roadster was originally promised for 2020.
Is the Tesla Roadster reservation refundable?
Reporting on Tesla's US reservation terms says the full $50,000 deposit is refundable. In China, Tesla's website lists a 332,000 yuan deposit as fully refundable, but differences created by later order changes are not refunded. Always check the current terms in your Tesla account before paying.
What are the Tesla Roadster specs?
Tesla quotes a top speed above 230 mph and range above 300 miles for the new Roadster. Performance and Thrust seat two; Rocket seats one. Thrust adds rear cold-gas thrusters and Rocket adds thrusters around the car for lift and orientation control. Battery size, weight and motor output have not been published.
The Bottom Line
The Tesla Roadster price is still unknown; the only firm numbers are a $50,000 reservation for the road-going Performance trim and a reported $250,000 for Thrust. Tesla's spec sheet promises sub-1.6-second acceleration for the road car and sub-0.6 seconds with thrusters, 230+ mph and 300+ miles, with production aimed at 2028. Until the configurator opens and independent tests appear, every figure here is a company claim, and we will update this page as soon as that changes.
Sources: Teslarati (Oct 15, 2026), CnEVPost (Oct 16, 2026), Not a Tesla App (Sep 19, 2026), Tesla 2017 Roadster announcement, Lucid Motors. Last fact-check: November 10, 2026.
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