Tesla’s new Roadster, due for Oct. 15 debut, has been almost a decade in the making—$50,000 deposits and all. Todd Haushalter paid a $250,000 deposit in 2017 for one of 1,000 "Founders Series" Roadsters and waited nearly nine years. Elon Musk thanked "long-suffering deposit holders" on a 2024 investor call.
Haushalter received an invitation to a "Ready for launch" event on Sept. 12 after years of silence. The Roadster is expected to be Tesla’s most expensive model, with Musk claiming it will go 0-60 mph in under one second and top 250 mph. He also suggested it might hover using SpaceX thruster technology.
Jon Mc Neill, former Tesla president, noted Ferrari proves high profits are possible at low volumes and high prices. Sam Abuelsamid warned extreme speeds require professional oversight. Tesla has not commented on the vehicle.
Source: Wall Street Journal US Business · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing