Tesla has reopened reservations for the Roadster, asking prospective buyers for a refundable $50,000 deposit nearly nine years after the first reservations opened. The company plans to reveal the car on October 1 at SpaceX's McGregor rocket test site in Waco, Texas, where it says it will provide pricing, specifications and production targets.

The reservation page is now live on Tesla's website, but it does not yet identify a final price, confirmed performance figures or a firm production schedule. The $50,000 commitment therefore secures a place in line rather than a clearly defined delivery date.

How Tesla's Roadster deposit works

Tesla splits the reservation payment into two parts. Buyers must first pay $5,000 by credit card. Tesla describes that charge as fully refundable. The remaining $45,000 must be sent by wire transfer within 10 days of the initial payment.

The reservation is not considered complete until Tesla receives the wire transfer, meaning the credit card payment alone does not secure a place in line. The structure matches the amount Tesla requested from its original depositors beginning in November 2017.

Those early customers have waited nearly nine years without a Roadster delivery. The program has already experienced at least eight delays, adding considerable uncertainty for both existing reservation holders and anyone considering joining the queue now.

Original Roadster targets remain unconfirmed

Tesla previously promised ambitious numbers for the electric sports car, including a 620-mile range, a sub-1.9-second 0-to-60-mph time and a top speed above 250 mph. The original base price was announced at $200,000.

None of those figures has been confirmed for the vehicle Tesla will show in October. The company has said the Waco event will clarify the Roadster's final specifications, pricing and production targets, making those details more important than the reservation page's countdown.

SpaceX reveal raises more questions than answers

The choice of venue is unusual for a vehicle reveal. Tesla will present the Roadster at a SpaceX rocket test site rather than a conventional auto-show location, while airspace around the McGregor facility has been closed from September 18 through October 2.

Elon Musk has also teased a demonstration involving SpaceX-designed cold-gas thrusters. At the All-In Summit, Musk said, “It'll be a banger. Excitement guaranteed. Success is not guaranteed, but excitement is.” The comment emphasizes the event's spectacle while stopping short of promising a delivery timeline.

That missing timeline is the central issue for reservation holders. A prediction-market contract tied to Roadsters reaching customers by the end of 2026 is below 5 percent, reflecting continued skepticism about when production will actually begin. Until Tesla provides a firm schedule, the $50,000 deposit remains a high-value commitment with no confirmed handover date.