Tesla is set to reveal its redesigned Roadster on Thursday, nearly nine years after showing a next-generation version of the electric sports car. The prototype, which costs $200,000, was first revealed in 2017, with expected deliveries starting in 2020. Reservations for the car are still $50,000 each, although the price has not changed. CEO Elon Musk has downplayed the car’s financial impact, calling it a “small potato situation.” However, analysts believe it will represent Tesla’s top engineering and technology as the company lacks a high-performance luxury vehicle.
Musk previously stated that the new Roadster would travel 620 miles on a single charge and reach 0 to 60 mph in less than a second. Goldstein estimates Tesla will sell about 2,000 Roadsters annually, a small portion compared to the 1.6 million vehicles sold last year. The original Roadster, produced from 2008 to 2012, was Tesla’s first electric vehicle and helped change perceptions of EVs. The launch occurs as Tesla shifts focus to AI-driven self-driving technology and robotics, stopping sales of Model S and X to make room for its Optimus robots and introducing the Cybercab. The event starts at 8:55 p.m. EDT on Thursday in Texas.
With information from Reuters
