Tesla Roadster price: what we know, what it costs to reserve, and what happens to 2017 buyers
Tesla has not priced the new Roadster. Reserving costs $50,000 or $250,000 by version, and Tesla's terms say it can't guarantee delivery. How it works, and what 2017 buyers still don't know.
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 ($5,000 up front and $245,000 within 10 days), and the Rocket is by invitation only. Tesla's own reservation terms say it "cannot guarantee when your vehicle will actually be delivered or if it will be delivered" (KBB). 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).
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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).
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Tesla has numbers it isn't sharing. MotorTrend says Tesla asked it to hold back pricing and the exact battery size (MotorTrend, EVXL).
- A cheaper version may come. Tesla's Lars Moravy and designer Franz von Holzhausen told Top Gear a less powerful base version, about 800 kW (1,073 hp), is in development. It is not on the reservation page (InsideEVs, via Yahoo, Electrek).
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" | $5,000 now, $245,000 within 10 days |
| Rocket | None listed | Invite only | Tesla says not approved for public roads |
Sources: Electrek, TechCrunch, Fox Business, KBB, MotorTrend, Drive Tesla Canada. The Canadian amounts come from Drive Tesla Canada alone. One outlet reports Tesla allows one reservation per customer (TechMyMoney); we found that in a single report.
The Thrust amount is now clear. Several outlets reading Tesla's page report $5,000 by card, then $245,000 within 10 days, $250,000 in all (KBB, MotorTrend, TechMyMoney). An early InsideEVs report said all three versions needed $50,000 (InsideEVs); the later reports don't support that. Check the amount on Tesla's own page before you commit.
What Tesla's reservation terms say
A reservation is a place in line, not a purchase. Kelley Blue Book quoted Tesla's reservation agreement (KBB):
- "The estimated Purchase Price of the vehicle, if provided, is only an estimate."
- "We are still working on what options, features and hardware the vehicle will have."
- The Roadster "is still under development," and Tesla "cannot guarantee when your vehicle will actually be delivered or if it will be delivered."
In plain words: you're paying to hold a spot for a car whose price, features and delivery date aren't set, and Tesla says so in writing (The Drive).
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 the newer reports say about refunds: InsideEVs, reading Tesla's US reservation agreement, says the reservation is "fully refundable if you change your mind" (InsideEVs, via Yahoo). The Gadgeteer, reading the October 15 version, says that until the invited configuration step is done (the later step where Tesla invites you to pick your car), "either party can cancel for a full refund" (The Gadgeteer). Neither report talks about the $5,000 and the $45,000 separately, so we can't say for sure how each payment is treated. InsideEVs also says reservations can't be handed to someone else, and The Gadgeteer says the money isn't kept in a separate account (called escrow) and earns you no interest. A New Zealand site reports Tesla's terms there make deposits refundable until a purchase agreement is signed; we found that only for New Zealand (EVs & Beyond). 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.
Outside the US
- Canada: C$70,000 to reserve the Performance, C$350,000 for the Thrust, as reported by Drive Tesla Canada (Drive Tesla Canada).
- Malaysia: reservations are open at RM21,000 up front, then RM182,000 (Performance) or RM988,000 (Thrust), with one Thrust booking per person (Paultan). Single report.
- New Zealand: Tesla's NZ page says the car is "available as a Left-Hand Drive vehicle only," meaning the steering wheel is on the left, the opposite of normal NZ, UK and Australian cars. The NZ reservation link now leads to an update sign-up (EVs & Beyond). Single report.
