Tesla has sent out an email to invited guests that its October 1 Roadster unveiling in Waco, Texas, must be held outdoors and may have to be rescheduled because of the weather.
“Since this event features a unique experience that must be held outdoors, there is a possibility we may need to reschedule due to weather,” the company wrote in an email titled “Important: Roadster Event Weather.”
“We are continuing to monitor weather reports and will reach out with additional details as soon as possible,” the email said.
The email was addressed to Brooks Weisblat, who runs the DragTimes car-testing channel and shared a screenshot on X late on Sunday.
Storms Forecast
Thunderstorms are forecast for Waco on both Wednesday and Thursday, according to AccuWeather‘s 10-day forecast as of early Monday.
For Thursday, the day of the event, it forecast “a couple of heavy thunderstorms” with a 97% chance of precipitation and about four hours of rain.
“Any downpour can cause temporary flooding on roadways and in poor drainage areas,” the forecast said.
Forecasts three days out can change, and AccuWeather does not say at what time of day the storms are expected.
The event is due to start at 7:30 p.m. local time, according to invitations shared by reservation holders.
Airspace Closed
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, according to its notice.
The notice runs from September 18 to 12:00 UTC on October 2, about 12 hours after the event is due to start.
It cites a “ground hazard” from “high energy testing operations” and names SpaceX as the operator in charge. It does not mention Tesla or the Roadster.
Tesla has not confirmed a venue beyond Waco, a livestream or what it will show.
Ninth Year of Waiting
A weather delay would be the latest in a long run of slips for the car.
Tesla first showed the second-generation Roadster in November 2017 and promised production in 2020.
October 1 is the fifth reveal date set in 2026, after April 1, late April, “a month or so” from late April, and August.
Tesla announced the 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,” Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on the All-Inpodcast 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.
