Before Tesla has fully presented its new Roadster, the company is already asking interested buyers to make a major financial commitment.
Getting in line for the next-generation model requires a $50,000 deposit ahead of Tesla's Oct. 1 event near Waco, Texas.
Here's what to know
According to Electrek, the process begins with a $5,000 credit card payment that Tesla labels "fully refundable." Buyers then have 10 days to send another $45,000 by wire, and the reservation is only finalized once that transfer clears.
Tesla used a similar setup when it first started taking Roadster money in November 2017 during the Semi event prototype reveal. At that time, it also sold a $250,000 Founders Series reservation that required full payment up front, while promising production would start in 2020.
That timeline never materialized into customer deliveries. The 2017 Roadster has been pushed back at least eight times, and the people who placed those original deposits are still waiting almost nine years later.
Tesla says the Oct. 1 event will cover pricing, specifications, and production targets for the updated car, which means new customers are being asked to put down a large sum before those details are available.
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More background
For buyers, that can mean tens of thousands of dollars remain tied up in a product with no firm delivery date.
Electrek reported that some of the earliest reservation holders also had trouble getting refunds: tech reviewer Marques Brownlee had already waited eight years, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he was ghosted when he tried to cancel.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been teasing a Roadster demonstration built around SpaceX-designed cold gas thrusters that he says could make the car hover or even "fly." The demo version would be remote-operated, wouldn't be street legal, and could carry a price tag in the hundreds of thousands.
What can be done?
Tesla seems to be repeating the opening move it made in 2017 by taking deposits first and saving the fuller reveal for a headline-grabbing event.
Musk himself has framed the Oct. 1 showcase as something aimed chiefly at generating buzz. As he put it, "It'll be a banger. Excitement guaranteed. Success is not guaranteed, but excitement is."
Where can I learn more?
These articles cover Tesla sales changes in Europe, Cybertruck delivery complaints, and new Model Y and Model 3 launches.
• In Europe, Tesla eliminated the purchase option for Model S and Model X buyers.
• Tesla's growing Cybertruck stockpile left some vehicles stored outdoors before delivery to buyers.
• Tesla rolled out a lower-cost Model Y as it looked to revive demand.
• In China, Tesla opened new Model Y orders with investors watching demand closely.
• Tesla prepared an extended-range Model 3 launch in China as competition intensified.
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