Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again suggested that the long-delayed next-generation Tesla Roadster could finally be revealed soon. According to Musk, the electric supercar may receive an official “reveal” as early as April 2026.
Musk made the claim on X while responding to a post celebrating the anniversary of the original Tesla Roadster’s production start in 2008. In the quote reply, he wrote: “New Roadster unveil hopefully next month. It will be a banger next-level.” The statement quickly caught the attention of EV enthusiasts, although many observers remain cautious given the vehicle’s long history of delays.
Tesla originally introduced the next-generation Roadster prototype in November 2017. At the time, the company said production would begin in 2020. That timeline never materialized.
Over the following years, the expected launch date continued to shift, from 2020 to 2022, then to 2023, later to 2024, and eventually to 2025. Each update came with renewed assurances that the electric supercar was just around the corner.
Because of these repeated delays, the Roadster program has become somewhat of a running joke within the EV community. Reservation holders, many of whom placed large deposits years ago, have grown increasingly frustrated while waiting for the car to materialize.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly criticized Tesla after attempting to cancel his $50,000 Roadster reservation, which he placed in 2018. According to Altman, he was unable to reach Tesla because the reservation email address had been shut down. Other reservation holders have reported similar issues when trying to recover their deposits after years of waiting.
The situation is even more significant for buyers of the exclusive Founders’ Series version of the Roadster, who paid deposits of $250,000 to secure their cars.
Musk’s new timeline also raises some eyebrows. During Tesla’s shareholder meeting in late 2025, he suggested that a Roadster demonstration might take place on April 1, 2026. The choice of date, April Fools’ Day, was notable because Musk openly joked that it provided him with plausible deniability if the event did not occur.
At that same meeting, Musk also indicated that production might not begin until 2027 or even 2028. If that timeline holds, the next-generation Roadster would arrive roughly seven to eight years later than Tesla’s original promise.
Another interesting change in Musk’s recent statement is the wording. Previously, he referred to the potential event as a “demo.” Now he is describing it as an “unveil,” which suggests that Tesla may be preparing to show a significantly revised version of the car.
Musk hinted at this possibility last year when he told shareholders the final Roadster would be “very different than what we’ve shown previously.” Recent trademark filings by Tesla in February also appear to support that idea. The filings included a new vehicle silhouette that looks sleeker and slightly squarer along the roofline compared with the original 2017 concept.
One of the most notable parts of Musk’s latest statement is the word “hopefully.” The qualifier stands out because Musk typically speaks confidently about Tesla’s future products, often making bold predictions about upcoming technologies and launches.
Tesla job listings related to the Roadster also hint that development work may still be ongoing. Some positions reference “concept development and launch of battery manufacturing equipment,” language that suggests the project may still be in relatively early stages rather than approaching full-scale production.
If the reported April event actually takes place, it would come nearly a decade after Tesla first revealed the Roadster prototype in 2017. The car was originally presented as a groundbreaking electric supercar capable of delivering extreme acceleration, record-breaking performance, and cutting-edge battery technology.
For now, Musk’s latest statement remains just another promise in a long timeline of Roadster announcements. Until Tesla actually puts the car on stage and confirms production plans, many observers remain skeptical that the long-awaited electric supercar is finally close to becoming reality.
