Tesla reopens reservations for the Roadster: $50,000 deposit for a car that has been delayed for 9 years

Tesla has reopened reservations for the second-generation Roadster. After nine years of waiting, it appears the production version of this highly anticipated electric hypercar will debut on October 1st. However, the preview shared by the company shows that its design will have little (or rather nothing) in common with the Roadster introduced in 2017.

The deposit required to place a reservation remains at $50,000: $5,000 of which is refundable upfront, with an additional $45,000 due within ten days. A price of $200,000 was announced at the time; however, it is unclear whether this figure will stand.

Defined by Tesla CEO Elon Musk as the company’s final model designed for human-driven operation (the brand has been heavily focused on developing autonomous driving technology for several years now), the Roadster is set to become the flagship of a lineup that is increasingly outdated, as the Model 3 and Model Y were released in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

The technical specifications unveiled in 2017 are likely to be further improved in the final version. Recall that the 2017 Roadster promised an EPA range of over 1,000 km (a figure that no production model has yet matched, not even the Lucid Air), a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of under 2 seconds, and a top speed of over 400 km/h.

The new Tesla Roadster will improve upon the specifications of the 2017 prototype

All indications suggest that the unveiling of the new Roadster will be accompanied by a display featuring a unit equipped with an optional package developed by SpaceX. Apparently, this optional package will add a cryogenic propulsion system to the vehicle. According to Musk, this will enhance acceleration, braking, and cornering performance at the cost of removing the rear seats.

The cold gas propulsion system will enable the Roadster to go from 0 to 60 mph (0-96.6 km/h) in just 1.1 seconds. This would make it the fastest production car on Earth... if Tesla keeps its word, as none of the promises made over the years regarding the new Roadster have been fulfilled to date.

"Safety isn’t the main goal. If you buy a Ferrari, safety isn’t your priority. I mean, if safety is your priority, don’t buy the Roadster... We aim to not kill anyone with this car. It will be the best of the last cars driven by humans. The best of the last," Musk said a few months ago during an appearance on the Moonshots podcast.