A recently published patent application suggests that the second generation Tesla Roadster could be close to production.
The application, which was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on March 12, shows a portrait-oriented curved screen in the middle of the dashboard – much like what Tesla showed in Roadster launch in 2017.
2020 Tesla Roadster
In the following years, several car manufacturers introduced horizontal curved screens that sit on top of the dashboard. But Tesla’s vertical screen still stands out, as do the automaker’s performance claims for the Roadster.
When it originally revealed the electric sports car, Tesla cited a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a 0-160 mph time of 4.2 seconds, and a top speed of 250 mph. A 200 kWh battery would provide 620 miles of range, Tesla said at the time. Just a year later, CEO Elon Musk said an “optional SpaceX rocket booster package” would cut the 0-60 mph time to 1.1 seconds.
Patent image of Tesla Roadster’s curved touchscreen
At the 2017 reveal, Tesla said pricing would start at $200,000 for the standard Roadster and $250,000 for a limited-edition Founder Series model. Tesla began accepting reservations following the reveal, requiring a $50,000 deposit for the standard Roadster and a full $250,000 upfront price for the Founder Series. The company said at the time that deliveries would begin in 2020, but that never happened.
Musk said in February that the production-spec Roadster will be ready for reveal later this year, with deliveries expected to begin in 2025. He also said the Roadster will be even faster than previously discussed, with a 0-60 mph time under 1.0 seconds. It remains to be seen whether Tesla will achieve this or, given the company’s history of missed deadlines, whether it will actually start shipping Roadsters next year.