Tesla has again delayed the unveiling schedule for its next-generation Roadster, which has been postponed repeatedly.

On April 22 local time, electric vehicle outlet Electrek reported that Tesla CEO Elon Musk (일론 머스크) said during the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings report that the Roadster reveal "could be in about a month". That pushes back a late-April unveiling date that had been indicated only weeks earlier.

With the latest delay, the Roadster has had its schedule changed at least eight times since the prototype was unveiled in November 2017. Musk cited testing and validation, saying additional time is needed to prevent problems during a demonstration.

The Roadster is seen as Tesla’s longest-running delay among its products. When it first unveiled the car in 2017, Tesla promised production in 2020. In July 2020, it pushed that back to 12 to 18 months out. In January 2021, it shifted the timing to 2022, then adjusted it again in September that year to 2023. In May 2023, it set 2024 as a target, and in February 2024 it said it would unveil a production version by year-end and start deliveries in early 2025.

But the schedule slipped again. In its third-quarter 2024 earnings report, Musk moved the production timing to 2025 to 2026, and at a shareholders meeting in November 2025 he signaled a demonstration on April 1, 2026. At the time, he also said production would be 12 to 18 months after the demonstration, leading to calculations that mass production would only be possible in 2027 or 2028. Musk later changed the wording from a March 2026 demonstration to a reveal and adjusted the timing to late April, but this time he said it would be "in about a month".

Reservation customers are also waiting longer. Tesla has taken pre-orders since 2017, with the Founders Series priced at $250,000 and the standard model starting at $50,000. The initial deposit was $5,000. Some customers have been waiting for close to 10 years without receiving a production car.

The performance specifications first released continue to draw market interest. Tesla has cited a 200 kWh battery, about 620 miles of range, acceleration from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds and a top speed above 250 miles per hour. Musk later raised expectations further by mentioning additional performance goals, including 0 to 60 miles per hour acceleration in under 1 second and an optional SpaceX cold-gas thruster.

But the competitive landscape has already changed significantly. Rimac has delivered its Nevera hypercar to customers, and Lotus has launched its Evija electric hypercar. In China, BYD and Xiaomi are expanding their presence in the high-performance EV market. By contrast, the Tesla Roadster remains at the prototype stage.

Tesla has not completely halted related development. It has recently filed a new Roadster-related trademark application, and it is continuing hiring for manufacturing staff and work on patents for composite-seat technology. Still, as the reveal schedule keeps slipping, questions are growing about how close it is to actual mass production. Repeated schedule changes are increasing uncertainty over when the Roadster can reach the market.