Tesla has postponed the unveiling of its second-generation Roadster by two weeks to October 15, citing severe weather forecast for the outdoor event near Waco, Texas.
“We’ve been tracking the weather closely with local meteorologists, but given the severe conditions predicted & because this event can only be held outdoors, we’ve made the difficult decision to reschedule,” the company said on X on Monday.
“New date is October 15. Additional details to follow,” Tesla wrote in the post, titled “Roadster event update.”
The event had been due to start at 7:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, October 1, according to invitations shared by reservation holders.
The decision came a day after Tesla warned invited guests by email that the event “must be held outdoors” and might have to be rescheduled.
Tesla did not give a venue, start time or format for the new date.
Storms Forecast
AccuWeather’s 10-day forecast as of early Monday showed thunderstorms for Waco on both Wednesday and Thursday.
For Thursday, it forecast “a couple of heavy thunderstorms” with a 97% chance of precipitation and about four hours of rain.
Airspace Notice
The outdoor setting fits the most dramatic claims made for the model.
Tesla and SpaceX engineers have been developing a cold-gas thruster system for the Roadster, and Tesla plans a remote-controlled hover demonstration with nobody inside, The Information has reported.
The same reporting said the demonstration could take place at SpaceX’s McGregor rocket test site near Waco.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has closed the airspace over McGregor to a radius of 1.5 nautical miles, from the surface to 10,000 feet, citing a “ground hazard” from “high energy testing operations” by SpaceX.
That notice runs until 12:00 UTC on October 2 and does not cover the new date.
Sixth Date This Year
October 15 is the sixth reveal date Tesla or Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has set for the car in 2026, after April 1, late April, “a month or so” from late April, August and October 1.
Tesla first showed the second-generation Roadster in November 2017 and promised production in 2020.
Musk said in November that production would start 12 to 18 months after the demonstration.
Tesla announced the October 1 date on September 12 with the caption “Go for launch,” and followed it with a second teaser showing a front light bar at the end of its Semi production event on September 24.
“We need an audience to vouch for the fact that this is not AI,” Musk said on the All-In podcast in mid-September.
Tesla reopened Roadster reservations this month against a $50,000 deposit.
The company is expected to report third-quarter deliveries on Friday, October 2.
