Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Nine Years In The MakingThere have been countless reports about Tesla possibly unveiling the next-generation Roadster after a long wait. As usual, those plans have been delayed several times since the EV was originally revealed in 2017. This new report, however, may carry more weight, suggesting the much-delayed model could finally be unveiled this month.This detail came from Reuters, citing The Information, an American publication known for its deeply reported journalism on the tech industry. At least it didn't come from an X post or Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has built hype around a potential unveiling from time to time – including by setting a previous reveal date of April 1, coincidentally April Fools' Day. The report stated that this month's unveiling could include a demonstration of a Roadster with cold-gas thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX.TeslaThe Roadster Gets Its WingsThe demonstration is reportedly happening at SpaceX's test site in McGregor, Texas. If Tesla does somehow strap cold-gas thrusters to the Roadster, it is worth noting that only a limited number of examples are expected to be built with them. The standard Roadster is still expected to use a conventional all-electric powertrain, arguably arriving at a better time for an electric performance model than when the OG launched in 2008.AdvertisementAdvertisementToday, several performance EVs are widely available, including the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric, which can deliver 1,139 horsepower and accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just 2.4 seconds. However, the Roadster would enter the somewhat niche space of open-top, 2+2 electric sports cars. In the U.S., there is really only the Maserati GranCabrio Folgore, as most performance EVs come in sedan or crossover body styles.Porsche is expected to expand the broader electric-roadster segment with the two-seat 718 Boxster EV. Polestar was also supposed to follow with the 2+2 Polestar 6, but a recent federal ban targeting Chinese-linked connected-vehicle technology means the Geely-owned EV maker is set to stop selling new cars in the U.S. beginning with the 2027 model year.TeslaStill LoadingSpeaking of the ban, although Tesla and SpaceX are both led by Musk, a merger could face major hurdles because of Tesla's ties to China, where it operates Gigafactory Shanghai. SpaceX, which went public in June 2026, is a major U.S. defense contractor, so a potential merger could create geopolitical and regulatory tensions.As such, the reported thruster-equipped Roadster would represent one of the most visible collaborations between the two companies, though it remains to be seen whether it will finally be unveiled this month.TeslaView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleAdvertisementAdvertisementThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Aug 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Electric section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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