Tesla’s long-awaited second-generation Roadster has hit yet another delay, with CEO Elon Musk announcing that the production version of the electric supercar will now be unveiled on April 1, 2026 nearly nine years after its original reveal in 2017. The announcement, made during Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting, adds another chapter to the Roadster’s winding development timeline.
Musk, known for his ambitious promises and shifting deadlines, said he deliberately chose April Fools’ Day for the event, joking that the date offers “some deniability.” “Like, I could say I was just kidding,” he quipped, acknowledging his reputation for missing launch targets. The new timeline also contradicts his earlier statement on The Joe Rogan Experience, where he hinted that Tesla might showcase the car before the end of 2025.
According to Musk, the upcoming Roadster will be “very different from what was shown previously.” He teased that its demo could be the “most exciting, whether it works or not, demo ever of any product.”
This cryptic remark appears to allude to his long-standing ambition to make the Roadster partially capable of flight, using SpaceX-engineered thrusters a concept that has intrigued and divided car enthusiasts for years.
Musk further revealed that production will likely begin 12 to 18 months after the April 2026 reveal, pushing the vehicle’s potential release date into late 2027 or early 2028. This means that early customers, some of whom placed $250,000 deposits for the exclusive “Founders Series” back in 2017, will have waited more than a decade by the time deliveries start.
During the Q&A portion of the meeting, a shareholder asked if these early supporters would be invited to the reveal event. Musk agreed, calling it “the least we can do for our long-suffering Roadster reservation holders.” Among those reservation holders is OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who recently tried to cancel his order and struggled to get his $50,000 refund.
Musk responded publicly on X, claiming Altman did receive the refund, adding another twist to their ongoing public rivalry. With Musk’s humor, hype, and history of delays, Tesla’s next Roadster reveal promises to be anything but ordinary fittingly set for April Fools’ Day.
