Tesla delays Roadster 2 event to October 15 over weather

Tesla delayed the reveal of its second-generation Roadster from October 1 to October 15, 2026, moving the event two full weeks because of a severe weather forecast for central Texas. The company announced the change in a post on X, saying the outdoor event could not proceed under the predicted conditions near Waco, Texas.techcrunch.com

The delay matters because it is the latest in a long series of postponements for a car Tesla first showed as a concept in 2017, and because the company has collected $50,000 deposits from prospective buyers who have waited years. The new date, October 15, is also a Thursday, exactly two weeks after the original schedule.electrek.co

What Tesla said in its post

Tesla wrote in its post on X: "We've been tracking the weather closely with local meteorologists, but given the severe conditions predicted & because this event can only be held outdoors, we've made the difficult decision to reschedule. New date is October 15." The company said additional details would follow.

The event must be held outdoors because Tesla has been integrating cold gas thrusters from SpaceX, designed to make the Roadster hover or fly in some form. The demonstration is expected to take place at SpaceX's rocket test site in McGregor, Texas, near Waco, with the car hovering using the thruster package, nobody inside, and spectators kept several hundred yards back.

Open-Meteo forecast data for McGregor, updated Monday afternoon, called for an 82% chance of precipitation on Thursday, October 1, with thunderstorms, gusts around 30 mph, and more than 4 inches of rain. Friday still showed an 81% chance of rain with less than half an inch, and by Saturday the chance fell to 53% with 13 mph gusts.

Where the numbers came from

From Sunday onward, the forecast was mostly dry, with no measurable rain from October 5 through October 7. Tesla nonetheless chose a date two weeks out. Electrek's editorial noted the storm passes within two or three days and questioned whether weather alone explained a two-week buffer, suggesting the demo itself may face challenges.

From Sunday onward, the forecast was mostly dry, with no measurable rain from October 5 through October 7. Tesla nonetheless chose a date two weeks out, rather than a nearer slot once the storms clear. The company has not said why October 15 specifically was selected, and additional details about the event are expected to follow.

A long history of delays

Elon Musk had earlier planned an April Fools' Day event for the reveal. At Tesla's annual meeting in 2025, where he was awarded a $1 trillion pay package, he said an April Fools' Day event would offer him "some deniability" if it got delayed again, adding, "Like, I could say I was just kidding."

Tesla first showed the second-generation Roadster concept in 2017 at an event where it also debuted the Semi electric big rig. The company collected $50,000 deposits from prospective customers for a car with an estimated base price of around $200,000, and some paid $250,000 to reserve one of 1,000 "Founders Series" versions.

The delay comes a week after Tesla reopened reservations for the next-gen Roadster, which it originally revealed almost a decade ago. Musk has said he expects it to take a year or more before the new Roadster goes into production after it is finally revealed. Musk reportedly told staff the hover demonstration "will be hard to pull off and could go wrong," according to Electrek. Tesla said it has been tracking the weather with local meteorologists and will release additional details about the October 15 event as they become available.