01 · Road2 seats
Performance
$50,000
$5,000 by card, then $45,000 by wire within 10 days.
- 0–60 mph < 1.6 s
- Thrusters: None
- Reservations open
File 04 Price · reservations
How much is the Tesla Roadster?
Short answer: Tesla hasn't said. What it has published is what it costs to get in line — $50,000 for the road car, $250,000 for thrusters, and an invitation for the one that flips.
01 Reservation tiers
What it costs to reserve each version
Tesla reopened reservations in September 2026, ahead of the reveal; CNBC reports deposits are being taken in the United States, Canada and China. The three tiers below appeared after the October 15 show.
02 · Track2 seats
Thrust
$250,000
Limited release. $5,000 by card, then $245,000 within 10 days.
- 0–60 mph < 0.9 s
- Thrusters: Rear cold-gas
- Limited release
03 · Flight1 seat
Rocket
By invitation
No public deposit or price. Tesla says it is by invitation only.
- 0–60 mph < 0.59 s
- Thrusters: 10 cold-gas
- Invite only
These are deposits, not prices. Tesla's reservation agreement says any estimated price “is only an estimate” and that a reservation “does not constitute the purchase or order of a vehicle.”
02 The real price
So what will the Roadster actually cost?
Elon Musk confirmed production for 2028 at the reveal but did not name a price for any version, and Tesla's site lists none.
The only official prices on record are from the 2017 unveiling: a $200,000 base car and a $250,000 Founders Series, which had to be paid in full up front. Those figures belonged to a different design — a 2+2 with 620 miles of range — and to a 2020 launch.
The 2026 deposit structure mirrors 2017 almost exactly: $50,000 to hold a regular car, $250,000 for the special one. Whether $250,000 is the full Thrust price, as it was for the Founders Series, Tesla has not said.
The flying-capable Rocket is the open question. It is single-seat, invite-only and not approved for public roads, so it may never have a public sticker price at all.
03 Step by step
How the Roadster reservation deposit works
Pay $5,000 by card
The initial payment on Tesla's site, described as fully refundable.
Wire the balance
For Performance, a $45,000 wire transfer is due within 10 days.
Reservation confirmed
Your place is final only once the wire clears. It is still not an order.
Wait for 2028
Configuration and final pricing are expected closer to production.
Before you wire $45,000
- Only reserve through Tesla's official website. Fake “Roadster pre-order” pages appear after every launch.
- Refunds have been slow before: when 2017 reservation holder Marques Brownlee cancelled after eight years, Tesla initially kept $5,000 of the deposit before later refunding it.
- The reservation fixes your place in line, not a price.
04 Price history
Tesla Roadster price history
| Date | Item | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2017 | Base price (announced) | $200,000 |
| Nov 2017 | Founders Series (paid in full) | $250,000 |
| Nov 2017 | Base reservation | $50,000 |
| Sep 2026 | Reservations reopen | $50,000 |
| Oct 2026 | Performance reservation | $50,000 |
| Oct 2026 | Thrust reservation | $250,000 |
| Oct 2026 | Final price, any version | Not announced |
05 Quick answers
Price FAQ
How much is the Tesla Roadster?
Tesla has not announced a price. Reservations reopened at $50,000 for the Performance version and $250,000 for the thruster-equipped Thrust version; the one-seat Rocket version is invite-only. In 2017 Tesla quoted a $200,000 base price and $250,000 for a Founders Series, but those figures belong to the old design.
Price and reservation details →How much does the flying version cost?
The cheapest way to get thrusters is the Thrust version, which takes a $250,000 reservation. The Rocket version, which has ten cold-gas thrusters and the most flight capability, is invite-only and has no published price or deposit.
Compare reservation tiers →Is the Tesla Roadster reservation refundable?
Tesla's reservation page describes the initial $5,000 card payment as fully refundable, with the rest of the deposit due by wire within 10 days. Tesla's terms say a reservation is not a purchase or order. When 2017 reservation holder Marques Brownlee cancelled, Tesla initially kept $5,000 of the deposit before later refunding it.
How the deposit works →When is the Tesla Roadster coming out?
Elon Musk said at the reveal, “We enter production in 2028.” The Roadster was first promised for 2020, so this would be about eight years late. Tesla has not given a delivery date.
The full timeline →Comparing versions? See the trim comparison.
REF Reporting we relied on
Sources
Figures marked as claims come from Tesla's event and reservation pages as reported by these outlets. None have been independently tested yet.
- ElectrekTesla reopens $50,000 Roadster reservations ahead of October 1 unveil
- Fox BusinessTesla reopens Roadster reservations – but you'll need $50K
- EngadgetTesla's redesigned Roadster has a cold-gas thruster option, but you'll need $250,000 just to reserve it
- MotorTrend (via Yahoo Autos)2028 Tesla Roadster first look: everything to know about Tesla's new supercar that can actually fly
- TechCrunchTesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style
- CNBCTesla unveils long-delayed Roadster developed with SpaceX, fueling merger speculation
- Yahoo Finance'Something extraordinary': Tesla Roadster wows with compressed air thrusters for limited flight
- ElectrekTesla unveils Cyberfied new Roadster that can kickflip
- ElectrekTesla makes it hard to get $50,000 Roadster deposit refunded after 8 years (Updated)
- WikipediaTesla Roadster (second generation)
- TeslaRoadster (official page and reservations)
NEXT Continue the dossier
Keep exploring
03 · Specs0–60 in 0.81 s and every trimAcceleration, top speed, power, range and charging, version by version.Open file →07 · TimelineMusk's nine-year promiseFrom the 2017 reveal and Starman to the 2028 production target.Open file →08 · FAQ20 questions, answeredQuick answers on price, speed, legality, flight and release date.Open file →