Tesla has filed two new trademark applications for its long-delayed next-generation Roadster, with one of them revealing the first official silhouette of the vehicle’s design ahead of an expected April debut.
The filings, submitted to the US Patent and Trademark Office on February 3, include a stylized “ROADSTER” wordmark and a separate design-only trademark described as “a triangle design consisting of three flowing, curved lines.”
The trademark filings come as chief executive Elon Musk has ramped up public commentary on the Roadster in recent weeks.
“I really think long-term, the only vehicles that we’ll make will be autonomous vehicles with the exception of the next generation Roadster which we’re hoping to debut in April,” Musk said during Tesla‘s fourth-quarter earnings call last month.
“It’s gonna be something out of this world. Fantastic,” he added.
The following day, Musk responded on X to tech reviewer Marques Brownlee, who had reacted to news that Tesla will discontinue the Model S and Model X by commenting “Oh Roadster is so cooked.”
Musk replied that the upcoming Roadster “will be incredible.”
The Tesla chief said last year that production of the Roadster is expected to begin in mid-to-late 2027, approximately 12 to 18 months after the demonstration event.
“I guess production is probably about, you know, 12 to 18 months after that,” he said at the shareholder meeting, referring to the demo event planned for April 1.
Nearly a Decade of Delays
The second-generation Roadster was first unveiled in November 2017, when Tesla began accepting $50,000 deposits for the $200,000 base model and $250,000 for the limited Founders Series.
At the time, Musk promised a 1.9-second zero-to-60 mph time and a top speed exceeding 250 mph.
The model has since faced repeated delays.
Tesla‘s original Roadster, the company’s first production vehicle, launched in 2008 and was discontinued in 2012.
The trademark filings come as Tesla’s global fleet surpasses 9 million vehicles, a milestone that traces back to February 2008.
Back then, the company delivered its very first car, the original Roadster (production unit P1), to Musk, who was serving as chairman at the time. He became CEO later that year.
Cybercab Naming Alternatives
Separately, Tesla has also filed trademark applications for “Cybercar” and “Cybervehicle”.
The company preparing alternative names for its autonomous Cybercab in US states where regulations prohibit unlicensed vehicles from using the terms “cab” or “taxi” — as first reported by Sawyer Merritt on X.
Musk alluded to the naming challenge during the fourth-quarter earnings call, noting that certain jurisdictions would require different branding for the robotaxi service.
“[It] is a little confusing with the terms robotaxi and CyberCab,” the Tesla chief noted. “Sorry about the confusion.”
“In fact, in some states, we’re not allowed to use the word ‘cab’ or ‘taxi’, so it’s going to get even more strange. It’s going to be like cyber vehicle or something cyber car,” he added.
