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Tesla’s Elon Musk talks Roadster and Cybertruck production timelines

Next-gen Tesla Roadster and Cybertruck at Hawthorne Design Center, 2019 Tesla Holiday Party (Credit: giftedkick_/Instagram)

During his recent return to the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Tesla CEO Elon Musk remarked that the next-generation Roadster would be a lot like dessert — so much so that the vehicle, which is regarded as the electric car maker’s halo car, will be released after the Cybertruck. 

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s second appearance at Joe Rogan Experience podcast featured an Elon Musk that’s a lot more restrained. Several non-Tesla topics were covered over the course of the two-hour conversation, but in the final moments of the podcast, the prolific host asked Musk when he could buy one of the company’s new Roadsters. 

Musk then explained that while he can’t really provide a concrete date for the Roadster’s release, there are several things that are being done ahead of the all-electric supercar. There’s the Model Y ramp, the initial construction of Gigafactory Berlin, the expansion of Gigafactory Shanghai, and other projects like the Tesla Semi and the Cybertruck. 

Next-gen Tesla Roadster and Cybertruck at Hawthorne Design Center, 2019 Tesla Holiday Party (Credit: giftedkick_/Instagram)

When pressed further, Musk explained that the Roadster could be considered as something akin to dessert. With this in mind, the CEO noted that he thinks the Cybertruck should actually be released before the all-electric supercar. “The Roadster is kinda like dessert. We got to get the wheat and potatoes and greens and stuff. I mean, I think we should do the Cybertruck first,” Musk said. 

The Tesla CEO did state that some of the key components of the new Roadster will be explored in the near future. Among this is the tri-motor configuration of the Plaid Model S, which was originally set to be released later this year. Musk did hint that Tesla’s release timeframes have been moved back thanks to the onset of the coronavirus, which means that the wait for the Plaid Model S may be longer than expected. 

That being said, the wait for the next-generation Roadster will likely be worth it. In a previous appearance at the Ride the Lightning podcast, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen noted that the all-electric supercar’s production version would be superior “in every way” compared to the already-stunning prototype that was unveiled back in 2017. This means that the next-gen Roadster will feature specs that are nothing short of insane. 

When it was unveiled, the next-gen Roadster was listed with a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a top speed of over 250 mph, a 200 kWh battery, and a range of 620 miles per charge. These are specs that are yet to be bested by competitors today, and considering von Holzhausen’s statements, the production version of the Roadster will most definitely be worth the wait. Just as Elon Musk recently stated, the Roadster will be dessert. And what a dessert it will be. 

Tesla’s Elon Musk talks Roadster and Cybertruck production timelines
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