Tesla Roadster: Performance and Thrust deposits, Rocket version and 2028 production plan
Tesla has opened reservations for its redesigned Roadster. Deposits range from $50,000 to $250,000, but final prices and delivery dates remain unconfirmed.
Tesla has unveiled an updated version of its electric Roadster sports car and opened reservations. Securing a place in line for the entry-level Performance variant requires a $50,000 deposit, while the Thrust version requires $250,000. These are reservation payments, not the final vehicle prices, which Tesla has yet to announce.
According to the published reservation terms, Performance is booked in two stages. Buyers pay $5,000 initially, followed by the remaining $45,000 within ten days. The total deposit is therefore $50,000. Buyers should check the refund conditions separately, since the two payments may be subject to different rules.
Reserving the Thrust version costs $250,000. The initial payment is also $5,000, but the second instalment rises to $245,000. This reserves a vehicle without setting its eventual purchase price or guaranteeing a particular delivery date.
Tesla has outlined three variants: Performance, Thrust and Rocket. The two-seat Performance is intended for public roads and features active aerodynamics to generate downforce. The two-seat Thrust adds rear gas thrusters for extreme acceleration. The single-seat Rocket will use a more extensive thruster system for aerial manoeuvres and will be available by invitation only. Tesla has not published a standard reservation procedure for it.
At a presentation at the SpaceX site in Texas, a Roadster prototype demonstrated an experimental system using technology associated with the space company. It drove along an inverted section of a special ramp, flipped in mid-air and jumped over several Tesla vehicles. Powerful fans and compressed-gas thrusters were used. These were prototype demonstrations, not proof that every feature is ready for production.
The Rocket version is expected to have ten gas thrusters positioned around the body. The system is designed for brief controlled jumps and adjusting the car’s attitude in the air. Only one seat remains to make room for the hardware. Tesla claims this version can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 0.6 seconds, but the production car has not undergone independent testing. Use of such functions on public roads would require regulatory approval.
When the second-generation Roadster was first announced in 2017, Tesla quoted a starting price of $200,000. That figure should not be treated as the current retail price: the car’s design has changed significantly, new variants have emerged and its launch has been delayed several times.
According to TechCrunch, Tesla aims to begin producing the updated Roadster in 2028. That remains a company target, not a guaranteed timetable. Buyers are being asked to place substantial deposits on a car that is not yet in series production, has no announced final price and has no guaranteed delivery date.