Jay Leno had to remind Tesla executives that the Roadster exists

In a short but funny interaction, Jay Leno had to remind Tesla executives that the Roadster still exists – sort of, since it has been delayed seemingly indefinitely.

The next-generation Roadster has become basically a running gag in the Tesla community.

I’ve asked Grok, Elon Musk’s truth-seeking AI, to compile all the times the CEO announced timelines to bring the Roadster to production and compare them to reality:

1. Initial Announcement (November 2017):
   • Announced Launch: 2020.
   • Reality: Delayed; no production by 2020. Revised to mid-to-late 2021 in July 2020.
2. July 2020 Update:
   • Announced Launch: Mid-to-late 2021.
   • Reality: Delayed; no production by 2021. Revised to 2022 in January 2021.
3. January 2021 Update:
   • Announced Launch: 2022.
   • Reality: Delayed; no production by 2022. Revised to 2023 in September 2021.
4. September 2021 Update:
   • Announced Launch: 2023.
   • Reality: Delayed; no production by 2023. Revised to 2024 in May 2023.
5. May 2023 Update:
   • Announced Launch: 2024.
   • Reality: Delayed; no production by 2024. Revised to 2025 in February and October 2024.
6. February 2024 and October 2024 Updates:
   • Announced Launch: 2025 (production version unveil by end of 2024, deliveries in 2025).
   • Reality: Current target; not yet launched as of February 11, 2025 and the production version was not unveiled in 2024.

We are coming up on a decade since the original unveiling, and Tesla has nothing to show for it despite not having launched a new vehicle other than the Cybertruck over the last 5 years.

Based on Musk’s last update, Tesla was supposed to unveil the production version by the end of 2024, which did not happen, and then start production in 2025.

Tesla has basically gone silent on the program other than being listed “in development” without a production location for years in its list of vehicle programs (still the same as of last month’s update):

The current state of the Tesla Roadster program couldn’t have been better illustrated than by this quick conversation between Jay Leno and Tesla executives Franz von Holzhausen and Lars Moravy.

As we have often reported, Tesla doesn’t have a press relations department and doesn’t maintain any relationships with US media other than with a few “friendly” publications and media personalities, including Jay Leno.

Tesla gave Leno an exclusive look and first drive at the new Model Y, which is not expected to hit US roads until next month:

During the drive, Leno asked von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer. and Moravy, Tesla VP of engineering, if the new Model Y would come with a three-motor powertrain.

Moravy answered:

“We do not make three, just one or two. Three is reserved for Plaid and the Beast.”

By that, he meant the top performance “Plaid” versions of Model S and Model X, which do come with a tri-motor powertrain, and the Cyberbeast version of the Cybertruck.

Then Leno had to remind them that they said the Roadster would also have three motors:

“and the Roadster?”

Then, both executives repeated “and the Roadster” before quickly moving on.

Electrek’s Take

I think the odds of Tesla launching the new Roadster this year just crashed. Not that they were very high to start with.

It’s true that the Roadster wouldn’t be very impactful as a vehicle program, but it would make things fun and exciting at Tesla again with some cutting-edge fun EVs to drive rather than everything being about self-driving.

It would be a fun distraction amid failing FSD deployment, crashing sales, lower margins, etc.