Cast your mind back to 2017. It was a time when words like “epidemiologist,” “lockdown,” and “coronavirus” probably weren’t even in your vocabulary. It was also the year that Elon Musk presented the second-generation Tesla Roadster.
The original Roadster was the car that proved electric vehicles could be exciting and with the second-generation model, Musk believed it would spell the end of all ICE-powered supercars and hypercars. It was supposed to launch in 2020 but while recently taking to Twitter, Musk revealed that it has been delayed yet again, this time until 2023.
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Tesla had already pushed back the launch of the Roadster until 2022. If it does launch in the latter half of 2023, that will be six years after it was first announced.
2021 has been the year of super crazy supply chain shortages, so it wouldn’t matter if we had 17 new products, as none would ship.
Assuming 2022 is not mega drama, new Roadster should ship in 2023.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 1, 2021
That being said, there’s no guarantee that the Roadster will even launch in 2023. In his tweet, Musk said it will only happen if “2022 is not mega drama,” in reference to the coronavirus impacting the auto industry in 2020 and semiconductor shortages further crippling the industry throughout 2021.
When first announced, Tesla said the Roadster would hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 1.9 seconds, achieve a top speed exceeding 250 mph (402 km/h) and be capable of traveling 620 miles (997 km) on a single charge. Moreover, a new Roadster equipped with the promised SpaceX package could apparently hit 60 mph in as little as 1.1 seconds.
