Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk's long-promised supercar has a new date — Oct. 15 — and a lot is riding on it. For Tesla fans, the Roadster has become the ultimate test of patience.
Nine years ago, Musk showed off a supercar he said was only a few years away. Buyers lined up with deposits, but the launch date kept getting delayed. Now the waiting game has a new chapter.
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In my 12 years covering the stock market, I've learned that product events can tell you as much about a company's mood as its earnings do. Let's take a closer look at what Tesla has in store for Oct. 15.
www.barchart.com Elon Musk's Roadster Promise Dates Back to 2017
According to TechCrunch, Tesla first showcased the new Roadster concept in 2017. The concept debuted at the same event as the Tesla Semi, and was supposed to be Tesla's first supercar designed completely from scratch.
At the time, Tesla said that the vehicle was just a few years off. The company collected $50,000 deposits for the car, which had an estimated base price of around $200,000, while some buyers paid $250,000 to lock in an exclusive version of the vehicle.
Then the project stalled for years. Eventually, Musk reportedly had the team redesign the vehicle, including using cold gas thrusters from SpaceX (SPCX) in some capacity.
The wait has tested even famous customers. In October 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on X that "7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait" for his Roadster. Musk said Altman had received a refund, according to TechCrunch.
Tesla Stock Fans Get a New Roadster Date
The new Roadster reveal was initially set for Oct. 1 in Waco, Texas, but Tesla has now moved it to Oct. 15. Tesla said in a post on X that it had been tracking forecasts with local meteorologists. Because the event "can only be held outdoors," the company rescheduled.
That outdoor requirement likely ties back to those SpaceX thrusters, as TechCrunch noted. After all, you can't exactly show off what could be a flying car in a ballroom.
Tesla's own filings keep expectations modest. In its second-quarter update, Tesla listed the Roadster's location as "TBD." Every other vehicle in the table provided by the company is either in production or commissioning.
Even after the reveal, buyers won't be driving a Tesla Roadster anytime soon. Musk has said production could take a year or even longer after launch.
Why the Tesla Stock Price Story Is Bigger Than One Car
The Roadster is a showpiece and unlikely to move the revenue needle for the electric vehicle (EV) maker.
Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles in Q2, up 25% from a year earlier, according to its Q2 update. Total revenue rose 26% year-over-year (YOY) to $28.2 billion. For the first time, Tesla also topped $100 billion in revenue over a trailing 12-month span as of Q2.
However, operating income fell 57% YOY to $398 million during the quarter, indicating an operating margin of just 1.4%. Put simply, Tesla kept about $1.40 from every $100 in sales after covering its running costs.
Tesla is spending heavily, given that capital expenditures more than doubled sequentially to $5.8 billion in Q2. Operating expenses also rose, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and other research projects. Higher capital spending meant that Tesla reported negative free cash flow of $1.1 billion in Q2. Still, Tesla ended the quarter with $43.5 billion in cash and short-term investments.
The money is going toward bold projects. Cybercab production started at Gigafactory Texas this year, while Tesla's Robotaxi service is now live in seven major metro areas across California, Texas, and Florida. Active Full-Self Driving (FSD) subscriptions also climbed 56% YOY to 1.48 million in Q2.
Tesla believes it is in its "largest and most exciting period of investment.” That's where the Roadster fits in. The new vehicle won't move sales numbers much, but a car that might fly is the kind of spectacle that keeps the Tesla story exciting while investors wait for its bigger bets to pay off. If the new Roadster finally shows up on Oct. 15, fans will most likely cheer.
Out of the 41 analysts covering TSLA stock, 15 recommend a “Strong Buy,” two recommend a “Moderate Buy” rating, 20 recommend a “Hold” rating, and four analysts recommend a “Strong Sell” rating. The average price target of $405.20 suggests potential upside of 9% from current levels.
www.barchart.com On the date of publication, Aditya Raghunath did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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