Tesla Roadster Event: How to Watch & What to Expect

After nearly a decade of waiting, Tesla is finally ready to show off the next-generation Roadster. The long-awaited reveal event takes place this week in Texas, and Elon Musk has promised it will be “unforgettable.”

Here’s everything you need to know about the Tesla Roadster event, including when it starts, how to watch, and what Tesla could show off.

Event Time & Location

The Roadster reveal is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, at 9:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. CDT, 6:00 p.m. PT) in Waco, Texas, roughly 90 minutes north of Tesla’s Austin headquarters.

The event is invite-only. Tesla sent invitations to Roadster reservation holders last month, limited to guests aged 21 and older.

How to Watch

The event is expected to be live-streamed online. Tesla typically live streams its product launch events, and we expect the Roadster presentation to be no different, although last month’s Cybercab launch was an exception. Tesla hasn’t shared an official stream link ahead of time, so we’ll update this article with a live stream link as soon as one becomes available.

The Delay

The Roadster 2.0 has been delayed time and again since Tesla first showed it off in 2017. Even this year, Tesla targeted an April 1 reveal before pushing it back to May, then into the summer, before finally settling on October 1.

That date slipped too. Tesla warned guests that the event features “a unique experience that must be held outdoors” and might need to be rescheduled due to weather. Shortly after, Tesla pushed the Roadster event to October 15, with Musk writing, “Due to high winds, the new Roadster demo is postponed by 2 weeks.”

@DominicBRNKMN / X

Weather matters because this won’t be a typical stage presentation (more on that in a bit). Ahead of the original date, regulators closed a chunk of Texas airspace over SpaceX’s McGregor test site near Waco, barring aircraft and drones up to 10,000 feet through October 2. It remains to be seen if a similar closure is in place for the new October 15 date.

The Roadster’s X Factor

So what’s going to make this reveal “unforgettable”? Musk has said Tesla needs a live audience to vouch for the fact that this is not AI, and we have a theory.

Tesla’s original teaser image showed the Roadster’s rear upside down, with four thruster plumes firing out the back. Paired with the original 10/01 event date, which reads the same when flipped, we think Tesla may demonstrate the Roadster driving upside down, like a Hot Wheels car through an inverted loop.

Not a Tesla App

It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. The McMurtry Spéirling already drives upside down using underbody fans that suck the car to the track. Combine that with the rumored SpaceX cold-gas thrusters pushing the car against the surface, and an inverted run becomes possible. High winds would also be a real problem for a stunt like that, hence the delay.

What to Expect

Beyond the unique demo, here’s what we expect Tesla to reveal, based on everything we know about the Roadster so far:

• Acceleration: Musk has promised a sub-2-second 0-60 mph time for the base model, and roughly one second or less with the optional SpaceX thruster package.

• Downforce tech: Tesla was just granted a patent for battery-powered fans that increase downforce by lowering air pressure under the car, even at low speeds. Other patents point to an F1-inspired ground-effect fan system and active rear wing.

• New Cyber design: Teasers show a sharper, more angular look than the 2017 concept, with full-width light bars similar to the Cybertruck and refreshed Model Y.

• Interior and steering: Patents suggest one-piece composite sport seats and a steer-by-wire system.

• Price and production: Production is set for Giga Texas. Tesla’s original 2017 pricing was $200,000 for the base model and $250,000 for the Founder’s Series, but that was nine years ago. Final pricing should be confirmed at the event.

@DominicBRNKMN / X

Tesla has also reopened Roadster reservations around the world, with a fully refundable $50,000 deposit to secure a place in line.

If the weather cooperates, we’ll finally see what nine years of supercar development have produced. Stay tuned for our full coverage of the Roadster launch event and everything Tesla announces.