The next generation Roadster: not coming any time soon...

[ecarfan]

At the Gigafactory event last night, in the short Q&A session, someone asked Elon about the next generation Roadster. I could not hear the question, but from his response I surmise that the question revolved around when Tesla would build it. I have not yet found a video of the Q&A, but Elon's response clearly indicated to me that the next Roadster is a long ways off because Tesla is totally focused on the 3, the coming "compact SUV" (he did not say "Model Y"), and other vehicles farther out like the two he included in the recently released Secret Master Plan Part Deux, quote "heavy-duty trucks and high passenger-density urban transport".

In response to the question he said something like "I would love to build a new Roadster" but that Tesla has to focus on the vehicles that are going to "accelerate the advent of sustainable energy", vehicles that the public will buy in large numbers or that will be needed in large numbers for urban transport and commercial trucking.

And that makes total sense to me. As a shareholder I fully support that plan. A new Roadster would be super cool, but it would sell in tiny numbers compared to the vehicles Elon included in his new SMP.

So my conclusion is, the next Roadster is many years off in the future. 5 to 10 years, maybe.

 

[ChadS]

That was my take too. It does not make sense for Tesla to build a new Roadster soon...but that does not keep me from being sad.

 

[walla2]

Alot of car companies are gunning for Tesla with a faster EV coupe/sedan by 2020.

It might actually make sense to make one and put all those fires out after years of those companies wasting R&D money on the elusive Tesla killer.

 

[shrink]

Thanks for sharing that info. Well, perhaps this will push our original Roadsters more into the collectible class and keep the values up, but only time will tell.

I don't like the fact that there is not even a link to the Roadster on the Tesla website. Perhaps it's because it's no longer in production, but there's still a fair amount of us on the road and with the 3.0 battery upgrade in production I think we should get a little more acknowledgement.

Ah well, can't blame them for putting their efforts into more mainstream products that will generate more revenue, but whenever that new Roadster arrives, I'm sure it'll be mindblowing (and out of my budget).

 

[DaveD]

I don't like the fact that there is not even a link to the Roadster on the Tesla website. Perhaps it's because it's no longer in production, but there's still a fair amount of us on the road and with the 3.0 battery upgrade in production I think we should get a little more acknowledgement.

Well, Tesla does acknowledge the Roadster on their shopping site, which is one click away from the main Tesla.com page:
Tesla — Tesla, That is how you place an order for the 3.0 Battery Upgrade.

 

[ecarfan]

One somewhat hopeful comment last night from Elon, that my spouse reminded me of: he said that Tesla had so much on their plate right now that building a new Roadster would be "like dessert", implying that they first had to do the really important things outlined in SMP Part Deux.

On the plus side, once you've had the entree, dessert will follow. Which is why my estimate for the next Roadster is 5-10 years.

 

[omarsultan]

I was bummed to hear that too. . I totally agree with his comments on focus and it was good to hear him say that, but nonetheless...I wonder if Porsche ever delivers the Mission E, if it will spur some competitiveness.

 

[int32_t]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Mission E is still just a concept, isn't it? The original Roadster still delivers crazy performance and excellent range. It'll be hard to beat that, and by the time somebody does, Tesla will be ready to show off the next Roadster, which will make every other performance car obsolete for the subsequent decade. This time the shoe will be on the other foot, too — Tesla will be awash in Model 3 income and will be able to overdo it on the next Roadster.

 

[omarsultan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Mission E is still just a concept, isn't it?

Hence the "if...ever". On the other hand, I did see this today: Porsche Is Already Testing the All-Electric Mission E

 

[HookBill]

Darn. I was so hoping to get a next gen Roadster. Now, it looks like that 'Roadster' may become a two wheeler with someone pushing it from behind. Maybe two wheels, an electric motor and joystick will have to do unless Elon changes his mind.

 

[Jaff]

Tesla will build it...eventually.

I just sold my Roadster back in the spring. I know Elon had said 2019 for the new Roadster a few times, but I always figured 2021 - 2023...it is just far too important to get the high volume models like the Model III and a pick up truck to market first.

He's doing the right thing imo.

 

[MileHighMotoring]

The Roadster would serve only one purpose for Tesla - halo car / rolling advertising. It would cost a fortune to develop and likely not recoup the expense. They honestly don't need any press, they are already the height of technology and desirability... we can revisit this in 5-10 years and see how the marketplace looks, but I agree that not only will they not make a Roadster in the near future, they don't need to. Obviously this has no bearing on my wish that they would.

 

[ecarfan]

Now that -- in my opinion -- the "next Roadster" is unlikely to be produced for several years and the 3.0 battery is available, I think Roadster market values will continue to hold steady for years to come, and may even start to rise.

However, forces that could conceivably cause Roadster market values to fall include Tesla continuing to add more and more sophisticated features to the vehicles they produce over the next several years, such as improved semi-autonomous driving and more sophisticated driver information displays, features that will make the Roadster appear more and more outdated. It is, after all, even by current standards, a relatively simple vehicle with few modern luxury features.

 

[josh-io]

I predict Tesla will never make another Roadster.

Elon is focused on revolutionizing transportation: first Model III, then heavy-duty trucks, high-density urban transport, and an autonomous fleet. Once Tesla does all that, a sports car like the Roadster will be an anachronism. The market won't think of cars, or transportation, the same way. No demand, no Roadster.

 

[joefee]

I think there will be a high performance Model 3 (P90DL) that will be plenty fast until Tesla comes out with their supercar

 

[ecarfan]

Someone posted a video of the Gigafactory event Q&A session that took place after Elon and JB spoke, see

The last question Elon answers was something like "What about the next Roadster?" His reply, quote: "Well, we'd love to do the next Roadster but we've got to focus on affordable mass market cars. I'd love to do the next Roadster! Are you kidding me? Of course! But that's gotta be dessert."

JB added: "There's a lotta stuff to do already on our plate. I think we better wrap it up with that, so..."

As I said above, my interpretation of Elon's comments are that he certainly wants to do the next Roadster, and he will, but it will be after the "affordable mass market cars" (his description, his words). Now, you can interpret that as "after the Model 3" if you want, which could mean within 2 years, or you can interpret it as after the Model 3 and the "compact SUV" (Model Y) that Elon specifically mentioned earlier in the Q&A which could mean within 3-5 years, or you could interpret it as after the Model 3, Model Y, and Tesla Truck, which could mean after 5 years or who knows when.

But my interpretation is that Tesla will build the next Roadster sometime within 5 to 10 years, probably not sooner than 5 years. Because of that timeframe, I think Roadster market values will hold up well especially with the 3.0 battery being available, and the Roadster will be a desirable car for many years to come.

 

[ecarfan]

I think there will be a high performance Model 3 (P90DL) that will be plenty fast until Tesla comes out with their supercar

Sure that Model 3 version will be very quick, but it is in no way a sports car. The Model 3 is a mid-size car, just a foot shorter than the Model S and a few inches narrower, and it seats 5 adults. It's a big car.

A "Roadster" is, by definition, a small 2-seater with a removable or retractable top. It's small. It's nimble, it's really really fast. The potential market for it is much smaller than any kind of sedan, and that is why it is not an "affordable mass market car" which is what Elon clearly knows Tesla has to focus on producing, for now.

 

[WarpedOne]

I see this as a "safe niche" that some other manufacturer can take for itself and run with it.
Go and make 100.000 electric roadsters per year, all power to you.

 

[dpeilow]

How many Roadsters have Detroit Electric sold?

Sorry to say it but I think Josh-io might be right.

And if they do get around to one, I don't want semi-autonomous driving or big screens on it. An interior on a par with the latest Exige / Evora is plenty good enough (I was in a Lotus dealership on Friday and they have definitely surpassed the level of the Roadster without lots of frivolous bells and whistles).

 

[ecarfan]

And if they do get around to one, I don't want semi-autonomous driving or big screens on it. An interior on a par with the latest Exige / Evora is plenty good enough (I was in a Lotus dealership on Friday and they have definitely surpassed the level of the Roadster without lots of frivolous bells and whistles).

I should hope so since the Tesla Roadster was designed a decade ago.