Tesla CEO Elon Musk says production for the company’s upcoming Roadster isn’t due to begin until “next year,” roughly two years after the car was initially set to enter production. Tesla announced its $200,000 Roadster back in 2017, when Musk said the car would start being built in 2020.
In a tweet, Musk suggested that work on the car’s “Tri-motor drive system & advanced battery work” were to blame for the delay. Musk says that Tesla hopes to finish engineering this year, and to have a “release candidate design drivable in late summer.”
Finishing engineering this year, production starts next year. Aiming to have release candidate design drivable late summer. Tri-motor drive system & advanced battery work were important precursors.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2021
The hope, however, is that whenever it does arrive, the Roadster will be a vehicle with formidable specs. When it was announced, Musk said that Roadster would be able to hit 620 miles on a single charge, and hinted at a top speed in excess of 250 mph. He also said that its triple-motor drive system (which includes one electric motor in the front and two at the rear) will allow the car to accelerate from 0 to 60 in just 1.9 seconds, and from 0 to 100 in 4.2.
