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It was loved by Silicon Valley startup nerds, and ever since the first generation went out of production in 2012, we\u2019ve been waiting patiently for the new version. At that time, it wasn\u2019t clear if there ever would be another, but in 2017 Tesla frontman, Elon Musk, unveiled the future.<\/p>\n
2017<\/h2>\n
Back in 2017, Tesla showed off renderings and a prototype model of the new Roadster. The stats were out of this world back then, and still are today: 0-60mph in under two seconds, 1,000 km on a single charge, and a tri-motor setup said to give it 10,000 nm of torque.<\/p>\n
As the car was revealed, and jaws were picked up from the floor, Musk announced that it would be available in 2020<\/a>. But wait, 2020 was last year, and we still have no Roadster. So what happened?<\/p>\n [Read: How Netflix shapes mainstream culture, explained by data<\/span><\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n With no new noise to suggest the Roadster was on the way, it started to grow clear that Tesla wasn\u2019t going to deliver on Musk\u2019s promise. It\u2019s a bit of a running trend for ol\u2019 Elon: make a big promise, realize how difficult it actually is to deliver on that promise, and then set a new deadline.<\/p>\n In 2019, Tesla started making noise about the off-road post apocalyptic self-driving sardine tin truck, the Cybertruck<\/a>. That was enough to divert attention away from the fact that we were still waiting for our goddam Roadster!<\/p>\n Last year, in a blow to those clamoring for the sports car, Musk said he would prioritize Cybertruck production over the Roadster<\/a>. Given the Cybertruck was only unveiled at the end of 2019, it pushed the Roadster into an even more distant future.<\/p>\n At the end of January 2021 Musk cemented that timeline in a tweet responding to the question: what happened to the Roadster?<\/p>\n In the tweet, Musk says that engineering is being finished this year, with production due to start in 2022. There\u2019s no talk about when homologation process and type approval will come though, as those are usually solid indicators that a new car isn\u2019t too far away.<\/p>\n Finishing engineering this year, production starts next year. Aiming to have release candidate design drivable late summer. Tri-motor drive system & advanced battery work were important precursors.<\/p>\n \u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So yeah, Tesla\u2018s coolest car is still behind schedule, but hey even if Musk does miss original deadlines, he usually comes through \u2014 eventually. So we just have to sit tight for a couple more years, but for a vehicle that\u2019s going to be the fastest accelerating production car, it\u2019s certainly not rushing to get here.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a>SHIFT<\/a> is brought to you by Polestar. It\u2019s time to accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility. That is why Polestar combines electric driving with cutting-edge design and thrilling performance.<\/span><\/i> Find out how<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Published January 29, 2021 \u2014 11:29 UTC <\/p>\n![\"tesla,](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/05\/NextGenTeslaRoadster_cropped.jpg\")
2019-2020<\/h2>\n
2021<\/h2>\n
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