Tesla Roadster price: what we know, what it costs to reserve, and what happens to 2017 buyers
Tesla has not announced a price for any version of the new Roadster. You can reserve one now: the Performance version takes $50,000 ($5,000 up front and $45,000 by wire within 10 days), the Thrust version takes $250,000 by most reports, and the Rocket is by invitation only. Tesla has not said what happens to the people who reserved in 2017.
The price: not announced
Tesla showed the car on October 15, 2026, and gave no price for any of its three versions (TechCrunch, Reuters, Fox Business).
Here is what the record does show:
- The 2017 base price was $200,000 (Reuters, Wikipedia). Engadget's recap said $250,000 (Engadget), but that was the price of the Founders Series, a first batch of 1,000 cars paid for in full (Wikipedia).
- Outlets expect more this time. Yahoo Finance reports expectations above $250,000 (Yahoo Finance). Engadget's live bloggers guessed the flying versions could pass $1 million. That was speculation during the show, not a report (Engadget).
- It is not a volume car. Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein expects about 2,000 Roadsters a year, against about 1.6 million total Tesla sales last year (Reuters). Musk said he is "not sure it moves the needle massively from a revenue standpoint" (TechCrunch).
Until Tesla posts a price, any figure you see is a guess.
What it costs to reserve
Reservations reopened in September, ahead of the original October 1 reveal date (Electrek, Sept. 20). After the reveal, Tesla's site listed three versions with different terms.
| Version | Reservation payment | How you get one | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | $50,000 (C$70,000 in Canada) | Reservation | $5,000 now, $45,000 by wire within 10 days |
| Thrust | $250,000 (C$350,000 in Canada) | "Limited release" | InsideEVs reports $50,000 instead |
| Rocket | None listed | Invite only | Tesla says not approved for public roads |
Sources: Electrek, TechCrunch, Fox Business, Drive Tesla Canada. The Canadian amounts come from Drive Tesla Canada alone.
A conflict to know about. Most outlets report a $250,000 reservation payment for the Thrust version (TechCrunch, Fox Business, Reuters, Engadget). InsideEVs reported that all three versions need $50,000 (InsideEVs). Check the amount on Tesla's own page before you commit.
How the Performance reservation works
- Pay $5,000 on Tesla's website. Tesla calls this first payment fully refundable (Electrek).
- Wire $45,000 within 10 days. If the wire does not arrive in time, Tesla cancels the reservation (Electrek, Yahoo Finance).
- Total: $50,000. That matches the 2017 base deposit (Electrek).
What we could not confirm: the reports we found call the first $5,000 refundable. None of them say whether the $45,000 wire is refundable, or on what terms. A reservation payment is not the price of the car. Read Tesla's reservation terms on tesla.com before you send the wire.
A safety note. Pay only through Tesla's own website and the instructions it gives you. A person or company offering to sell you a Roadster spot is not Tesla.
What happens to 2017 buyers
Tesla has not said (Jalopnik, Electrek).
That leaves two groups waiting. In 2017, base buyers put down a $50,000 deposit, and Founders Series buyers paid $250,000 in full (Wikipedia). Tesla promised deliveries for 2020 (Wikipedia). Electrek's Fred Lambert, who holds a Founders reservation himself, has asked publicly what those buyers should do (Electrek).
The car they reserved has also changed. Here is the 2017 promise next to what Tesla showed in 2026. Every number in the right column is Tesla's claim.
| 2017 promise | 2026 Tesla claim | |
|---|---|---|
| 0-60 mph | 1.9 s | Under 1.6 s (Performance), under 0.9 s (Thrust), under 0.59 s (Rocket) |
| Top speed | Above 250 mph | Over 230 mph |
| Range | 620 miles | Over 300 miles |
| Battery | 200 kWh | Not announced |
| Seats | 4 (2+2) | 2, or 1 in the Rocket |
| Base price | $200,000 | Not announced |
| Production | 2020 | 2028 |
Sources: Electrek, Paultan, Wikipedia.
If you reserved in 2017, these are the open questions to put to Tesla in writing:
- Does my reservation carry over to the new car?
- Which version does it apply to?
- Is my deposit, or my full Founders payment, credited toward the final price?
- Can I get my money back if I do not want the new design?
We do not know the answers yet.