Currently reading: Tesla Roadster launch pushed back two years to 2022
Model S Plaid saloon will now give us the first taste of Tesla's 1000bhp-plus tri-motor powertrain

Following the unveiling of the 1000bhp-plus Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid yesterday, Tesla boss Elon Musk has confirmed the long-awaited Roadster supercar has been delayed until 2022. 

Responding to a user on Twitter who enquired about progress on the Porsche Taycan rival, Musk said Tesla will be "finishing engineering this year" ahead of a planned production start date next year. Completion of a driveable prototype is hoped to take place at the end of summer.

The delay is attributed to the development of Tesla's new tri-motor powertrain and advanced battery technology, which will make their market debut in the new saloon and SUV variants.  

The second-generation Roadster was first shown in late 2017 and was expected to enter production this year. 

It won't be the first Tesla to miss its intended production date: the launch of the Model 3 saloon was plagued by production setbacks, the Semi lorry - originally planned to launch in 2019 - didn't appear on the market as planned last year and Musk has already warned that Tesla will be "lucky" to begin production of the radical Cybertruck pick-up before 2022.  

Tesla says the launch version of the Roadster will pack 7376lb ft from three electric motors and be able to do 0-60mph in 1.9sec – a similar feat to that claimed for the Model S Plaid. 

At its unveiling, Musk said the successor to Tesla’s first production car, which went off sale nine years ago, can accelerate from 0-100mph in 4.2sec and complete a quarter-mile sprint in 8.9sec. He did suggest that producing a faster version of the car could cause some safety concerns.

"[An upgrade is] just a question of safety," he said. "Rocket tech applied to a car opens up revolutionary possibilities."

 

Roadster rear 34

It's also claimed that the Roadster – which features a removable glass lid and wraparound rear section to give it a look similar to the Mazda MX-5 RF – will have a top speed of more than 250mph.

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Musk revealed that the car’s 200kWh battery pack enables it to have a 620-mile range, which would break the record for a production electric vehicle. The top-rung Model S Plaid+ is claimed to offer 520 miles of range on the American EPA cycle.

"The point of doing this is to give a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars,” said Musk. “Driving a gasoline sports car is going to feel like a steam engine with a side of quiche.”

The Roadster was originally pegged to arrive on roads in 2020, initially priced from $250,000 (about £189,000) for the first 1000 cars, which will be sold as Founders Edition models.

Reservations for these required a payment of £189,000. Subsequent units will be priced from $200,000 (£151,020), with reservations available for £38,000.

Roadster interior

Like Tesla's other models, the Roadster will be equipped with the company's latest autonomous driving technology.

Since 2016, all Tesla cars have been equipped with eight surround cameras to provide 360deg visibility around the car up to 250 metres away. There are also 12 ultrasonic sensors, allowing for detection of both hard and soft objects, as well as a forward-facing radar that can see through heavy rain, fog, dust and even underneath the car ahead.

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The Roadster will support over-the-air software updates, meaning performance, autonomous features and safety systems can be boosted even after a car has been purchased. Recent examples of Tesla updates have enabled quicker 0-60mph times and enhanced Autopilot functionality.

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Peter Cavellini 31 January 2021

 I don't feel the need for speed....thanks Mr Musk, well, could it be true?, that "Star trek" acceleration has made Traffic light drag racing and the like, are pointless?

Folsom 30 January 2021
how is bald Elon going to keep that dead ferret on his head in a roadster?
Folsom 30 January 2021
Folsom wrote:

how is bald Elon going to keep that dead ferret on his head in a roadster?

Elon is bald? Yes, just look at pics from years ago... and you thought his worst secret was that his father married his sister? Nah, tesla fanboy insecurity is tops down with that company...

lambo58 30 January 2021

How has that got anything to do with this story?

You are just a jealous troll who hasn't achieved anything in life and no one gives a monkeys. Says it all about you...

Folsom 30 January 2021
lambo58 wrote:

How has that got anything to do with this story?

You are just a jealous troll who hasn't achieved anything in life and no one gives a monkeys. Says it all about you...

Its a roadster story and the company CEO wears a syrup. that's what. 

lambo58 30 January 2021

More like hair plugs, but like I said, its all you trolls can do is to belittle someone who has changed the automotive world as well as space flight for the better and that all you can do is to belittle someone who is through no fault of his own is follically challenged.

Hasnt stoped him from becoming the worlds richest man through his own efforts, Now who is the worlds second richest man? Jeff Bezos: last time I looked he was bald too. So...

 

Just Saying 30 January 2021
Well said Lambo.
The launch is put back, but better as a result.
Sonic 30 January 2021
Folsom wrote:

how is bald Elon going to keep that dead ferret on his head in a roadster?

It's a hair transplant - Same as what Lewis Hamilton had. I wouldn't call either of them bald. 

Back on topic, we knew for some time the Roadster 2.0 was delayed until 2022, but this is now confirmation. They're now prioritising batteries for the Cybertruck, which turned out to be even more popular than even Tesla expected.

Peter Cavellini 29 January 2021

 How fast is too fast?, with the advent of EV power, the huge amount of torque available from the minute you squeeze the accelerator, you can only go so fast before the laws of Physics says..no, this car was announced with 0-60, 0-100mph that 10 yrs ago we're sc-fi quick, I think how fast is irrelevant, it's how far, how quick to recharge,and how cheap can it get.