Copyright SlashGear
Tesla has been promising that its Roadster is just around the corner for years. The car was first announced in 2017 and was initially slated to launch in 2020, but its launch date was pushed back due to the Covid pandemic. Since then, it's been subject to repeated delays, leading to a number of buyers requesting their initial $50,000 deposit back. Tesla's priorities have evidently been elsewhere over the past few years, but it seems like the automaker is now taking steps to finally push its sports car into production. A new job listing has appeared on Tesla's website for a manufacturing engineer for the Roadster, stating that the automaker is looking for someone to "contribute to the concept development and launch of battery manufacturing equipment for our cutting-edge Roadster vehicle." According to the listing, "the all-new Roadster product architecture" is "still in its early development stages," with the engineer being needed to take the car's required systems, "from the early concept development stage through equipment launch." New hires can look forward to a salary of $80,000 to $174,000. The admission that the Roadster is still in its "early concept development stage" is particularly notable, as it means that it's unlikely that Tesla customers with reservations will be seeing the car in their driveway anytime soon. However, it's a step in the right direction, and one that will no doubt be welcomed by reservation holders, some of whom have already been waiting more than seven years for the car. Tesla's CEO has a long track record of making big claims about the Roadster, and its specs are certainly ambitious. The brand says that the car will have a range of 620 miles, be able to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, and have a top speed in excess of 250 mph. That would make it not only one of the fastest EVs on the market, but still give it around 100 miles more range than the current longest-range U.S. market production EV, the Lucid Air Grand Touring. In 2024, Musk said on X that the Roadster has been subject to major design updates, and that "there will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car." He also claimed that the Roadster would begin shipping to customers in 2025. Given the timing of the latest job listing, it's safe to assume that the chance of that happening is virtually nil. The original Tesla Roadster was discontinued back in 2012, having initially launched during the tail end of the Great Recession. It was built in partnership with Lotus and was based on the British brand's Elise model. At launch, the car cost more than $110,000 in base-spec form, and its final price could easily push past $125,000 with options included. Adjusting for inflation, that's the equivalent of over $190,000 today. Tesla has not unveiled a final price for the next, second-generation Roadster, but it's likely to be equally wallet-busting.
