A recently published patent application hints that the second-generation Tesla Roadster might actually be close to production.
The application, which was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on March 12, shows a portrait-style curved display in the middle of dashboard—much like what Tesla showed at the Roadster's 2017 unveiling.
2020 Tesla Roadster
In the intervening years, several automakers have introduced horizontal curved displays that sit on top of the dashboard. But Tesla's vertical display still stands out, as do the automaker's performance claims for the Roadster.
When it originally unveiled the electric sports car, Tesla quoted a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a 0-100 mph time of 4.2 seconds, and a top speed of 250 mph. A 200-kwh battery pack would provide 620 miles of range, Tesla said at the time. Just a year later, CEO Elon Musk said a "SpaceX rocket thruster option package" would get the 0-60 mph time down to 1.1 seconds.
Tesla Roadster curved touchscreen patent image
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 after the reveal, requiring a $50,000 deposit for the standard Roadster and the full $250,000 price upfront for the Founder Series. The company said at the time that deliveries would start in 2020, but that never happened.
Musk said in February that the production-spec Roadster will be ready for a reveal later this year, with deliveries targeted to start in 2025. He also said the Roadster will be even quicker than previously discussed, with a sub-1.0-second 0-60 mph time. It remains to be seen whether Tesla will be able to achieve that or, given the company's history of missing deadlines, whether it will actually start shipping Roadsters next year.