Tesla delays reveal of production Roadster 2 to April Fools’ Day

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Thursday the institution volition uncover the accumulation mentation of its second-generation Roadster supercar connected April 1, 2026 — astir 9 years aft helium archetypal revealed the project.

Musk, who is celebrated for missing deadlines, said during Tesla’s yearly shareholder gathering that helium chose April Fools’ Day successful portion due to the fact that it affords “some deniability.”

“Like, I could accidental I was conscionable kidding” if it happens to beryllium later, helium said.

Revealing the accumulation mentation of the caller Roadster adjacent twelvemonth is successful itself a delay. Just 1 week agone helium appeared connected Joe Rogan’s podcast and repeated his assertion that helium wanted to amusement disconnected the car by year’s end.

Musk stressed Thursday the car “will beryllium precise antithetic from what was shown previously,” and again teased that the demo volition beryllium the “most exciting, whether it works oregon not, demo ever of immoderate product” — a not-so-sly motion to the information that he’s spent years trying to marque the caller Roadster alert successful immoderate fashion, perchance with SpaceX-built thrusters.

Musk went connected to accidental that helium believes the second-generation Roadster won’t spell into accumulation until 12 to 18 months after the April reveal.

During the Q&A information of the meeting, 1 shareholder asked Musk if customers who pre-ordered the “Founders Series” mentation of the caller Roadsters could beryllium invited to the uncover event. Those were the customers who plopped down $250,000 to unafraid peculiar versions of the car successful 2017.

“Sure, absolutely,” Musk answered. “It’s the slightest we tin bash for our long-suffering Roadster preservation holders.”

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was 1 of those long-time sufferers who precocious attempted to cancel the preservation — and initially failed to get a refund — for the agelong promised EV.

Earlier this month, Altman posted connected X a “tale successful 3 acts,” which was comprised of respective screenshots showing his archetypal reservation, a petition for a refund of the $50,000 preservation fee, and his email bouncing back.

“I truly was excited for the car!” Altman wrote. “And I recognize delays. But 7.5 years has felt similar a agelong clip to wait.”

Musk, who has openly sparred with Altman for years, went connected the attack. “And you forgot to notation enactment 4, wherever this contented was fixed and you received a refund wrong 24 hours,” Musk wrote. “But that is successful your nature.”