Tesla Roadster release postponed again to April 2026, mass production may be delayed until after 2027.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced at the annual shareholders meeting that the official release of the next generation Roadster electric supercar will be delayed until April 1, 2026, with production delayed by 12 to 18 months, with deliveries expected as early as 2027 or as late as 2028. This means that the production time for the model has been delayed by nearly ten years since it was first unveiled in 2017. Musk chose April Fool's Day as the release date, saying "that way if it's delayed again, I can say it's a joke." This decision once again casts a shadow over the lengthy development process of the car, as he had previously promised during an interview on the Joe Rogan podcast to have a "memorable display" by the end of 2025. According to Musk, the production version of the Roadster will have significant differences from the prototype shown in 2017, with the new car potentially featuring a cold air propulsion system developed by SpaceX, allowing for suspension and even brief flight functions. Insider sources revealed that the latest design will have a two-seat layout with butterfly doors, different from the initial four-seat version. The long delays have left some reservation holders dissatisfied. Many users have already paid deposits ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 since 2017. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently publicly requested a refund on social media, stating that his emails were being returned. Musk responded by saying that refunds had been issued within 24 hours, jokingly adding that it "suits your personality." Tech blogger Marques Brownlee canceled his reservation in September 2025, describing the refund process as "extremely cumbersome." According to Tesla's financial report, these deposits are recorded as "interest-free customer loans" on the books, with the longest freeze time reaching eight years.