Tesla Roadster Price and Reservation: How Much It Costs and How to Reserve

How much is a Tesla Roadster? It is the most searched money question about the car, and the honest answer in October 2026 is that nobody outside Tesla knows. Tesla unveiled the new Roadster on October 15, 2026, opened US reservations and announced a 2028 production start, but it did not publish a Tesla Roadster price for any version. What it did publish is the cost of getting in line: a $50,000 reservation, paid as $5,000 up front and $45,000 within 10 days. This part of our Tesla Roadster guide explains exactly what you pay, what the reservation terms say, what the 2017 prices were, and what to consider before you hand over the money.

How much is the 2026 Tesla Roadster?

Tesla has not announced a price for the Performance, Thrust or Rocket versions. Reuters, Electrek and TechCrunch all reported that no price was given at the October 15 event, and Tesla's US reservation page lists only the reservation payments. Any figure you see quoted as the "Tesla Roadster 2026 price" is an estimate by the author, not a Tesla number.

What we do know is the historical anchor. When Tesla revealed the second-generation Roadster in 2017, it announced a base price of $200,000 and a Founders Series at $250,000, as Car and Driver and The Washington Post reported. The car has changed a great deal since then – it has thrusters, fans, a steer-by-wire yoke and a new body – so the 2017 prices are a reference point, not a forecast. We will update this guide when Tesla announces official pricing.

Tesla Roadster reservation: what you pay and when

Tesla's US reservation page at tesla.com/roadster/reserve, which we checked on October 16, 2026, shows one payment schedule:

Payment	Amount	Terms on Tesla's page
Due today	$5,000	“Fully refundable”
Due within 10 days	$45,000	Reservation is canceled if not paid within 10 days
Total reservation	$50,000	“Reservations are not final until payment is received”

Tesla's page adds one more line that deserves attention: "Refunds for modifications will not be issued." The page explicitly labels the $5,000 as fully refundable but does not spell out on the same screen what happens to the $45,000 if you later cancel. Read the full reservation agreement before paying, save a copy, and ask Tesla in writing if anything is unclear. The structure – $5,000 now plus $45,000 within 10 days – is the same one Tesla used for base-model reservations in 2017.

Which versions can you reserve?

Version	Reservation status	Tesla's description	Seats
Performance	Reserve	Road ready; active aero and multi-mode suction	2
Thrust	Limited	Race ready; adds acceleration thrusters	2
Rocket	Invite only	Air ready; adds a full flight system; not approved for public road use; not available in all regions	1

For most buyers, the Performance version is the only one that is openly reservable. Thrust is marked "Limited," and Rocket is "Invite only." TechCrunch reported a $250,000 reservation for the Thrust version; when we checked Tesla's US reservation page, it showed only the $5,000 + $45,000 schedule, so treat the higher figure as unconfirmed until Tesla publishes it. For what each version actually includes, see our 2026 Tesla Roadster specs and versions article.

How to reserve a Tesla Roadster, step by step

1. Go to tesla.com/roadster/reserve while signed in to your Tesla account (or create one).
2. Choose a version. Performance is listed as "Reserve"; Thrust is "Limited"; Rocket requires an invitation.
3. Pay $5,000 by card. Tesla labels this payment fully refundable.
4. Pay $45,000 within 10 days. If you do not, Tesla says the reservation is subject to cancellation.
5. Keep records. Save the confirmation, the terms shown at checkout and your payment receipts.
6. Wait for configuration and pricing. Tesla has not said when final pricing and orders will open; production is planned for 2028.

2017 reservations and the Founders Series

Thousands of buyers already paid for a Roadster years ago. In 2017, the base reservation was $50,000 and the 1,000-car Founders Series required the full $250,000 up front. Tesla also gave away Founders Series Roadsters as referral rewards between 2017 and 2019, as Jalopnik reported.

What those people will get is the biggest unanswered money question. As of October 16, 2026, Tesla had not explained how 2017 reservations and Founders Series orders fit into the new three-version lineup, a gap noted by Jalopnik and Electrek. Electrek reported that Founders Series holders were invited to the unveiling demo. If you are one of them, do not assume your old reservation automatically converts to a specific version or price. Our 2017 Roadster promises article covers what was sold back then.

Reservation	Year	Amount paid	Status
Roadster base	2017	$50,000 ($5,000 + $45,000)	Treatment under the 2026 lineup not announced
Founders Series (1,000 cars)	2017	$250,000 in full	Holders invited to the demo; terms not announced
Referral-program Founders Roadsters	2017–2019	Earned through referrals	Not addressed publicly
New reservation	2026	$50,000 ($5,000 + $45,000)	Open for Performance; Thrust limited; Rocket invite only

When will reservation holders get their cars?

Musk said at the unveiling that production will begin in 2028. Tesla has not published a delivery schedule, a production volume or the order in which versions will be built. Given that the Roadster's production start has moved eight times since 2017 (see our release date and delay timeline), it is reasonable to plan for the possibility of further slips. A $50,000 reservation could be tied up for years, money that would otherwise earn interest in a savings account or a Treasury bill. That opportunity cost is part of the true price of getting in line.

Taxes, credits and registration in the US

A few US-specific points are worth knowing before you budget for a Roadster:

• No federal EV tax credit. According to the IRS, the new clean vehicle credit is not available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. A 2028 Roadster would not qualify for it.
• Sales tax and fees vary by state. Sales or use tax, registration and title fees are set by your state and sometimes your county, and many states also charge special annual fees for electric vehicles. Check with your state motor vehicle agency for current rates; we are not quoting figures because they change frequently.
• Registration depends on road legality. Tesla calls the Performance version road ready but says the Rocket version is not approved for public road use. Registering a car with thrusters may raise questions at the state level that Tesla has not addressed. We explain the federal side – NHTSA self-certification and the FAA question – in our specs and street legality article.
• Insurance. No insurer has published Roadster rates yet. A car with sub-two-second acceleration, thrusters and a high price will be an unusual underwriting case, so ask your insurer early.

What did the original Tesla Roadster cost?

People searching "how much is a Tesla Roadster" are often thinking of the original 2008–2012 car. When new, it started at about $98,000 in 2008, rose to $109,000 in 2009, and the Roadster Sport began at $128,500. Today, original Roadsters change hands at auction; on Bring a Trailer, examples sold in 2025 and 2026 at hammer prices mostly between the low $40,000s and the high $70,000s, with battery condition and documentation making a big difference. Full details are in our original Tesla Roadster history and used Tesla Roadster buying guide.

Roadster	Price	Source
2008 Roadster, new	About $98,000	Autoblog, citing Tesla
Roadster after 2009 increase, new	$109,000	Motor Authority
Roadster Sport, new (2009)	From $128,500	Tesla press release
2017 Roadster (announced)	$200,000 base; $250,000 Founders	Car and Driver, Washington Post
2026 Roadster	Not announced; $50,000 reservation	Tesla

Why there is no price yet – and how it might compare

Tesla did not explain why it withheld pricing, but the public record offers clues. Several basic specifications are still undisclosed, including battery capacity, weight and an official range rating, and Tesla has not confirmed where the car will be built. Musk also said at the event that he is "not sure it moves the needle massively from a revenue standpoint," as TechCrunch reported – a hint that the Roadster is priced as a halo car rather than a volume product. Setting a final price two years before production would also lock Tesla into a number before supplier costs are known.

For perspective, the fastest electric hypercars already on sale cost far more than the Roadster's 2017 price. Car and Driver lists the Rimac Nevera at an estimated $2.2 million, and TechCrunch reported that the Nevera R starts at about $2.5 million. Those cars are built in tiny numbers and by hand. If Tesla prices the Roadster anywhere near its original $200,000 target, it would offer comparable or better claimed acceleration for a fraction of the cost – but only if the production car delivers its targets. Our Tesla Roadster vs. Rimac Nevera comparison looks at the numbers in detail.

Car	Price	Source
Tesla Roadster (2026)	Not announced	Tesla
Tesla Roadster (2017 announcement)	$200,000 base	Car and Driver
Rimac Nevera	About $2.2 million (estimate)	Car and Driver
Rimac Nevera R	From about $2.5 million	TechCrunch

Reservation checklist before you pay

• Confirm which version you are reserving and that it is the one you want; Tesla states refunds for modifications will not be issued.
• Make sure you can pay the $45,000 balance within 10 days; otherwise the reservation is subject to cancellation.
• Save screenshots of the terms shown at checkout, along with every receipt.
• If you hold a 2017 reservation, ask Tesla in writing how it will be treated before placing a new one.
• Think about the opportunity cost of tying up $50,000 until at least 2028.

Should you reserve a Tesla Roadster?

That depends on how you view the money and the wait. Reasons to reserve: the Roadster is likely to be built in limited numbers, an earlier reservation may put you closer to the front of the line, although Tesla has not published how it will sequence deliveries, and the $5,000 first payment is labeled fully refundable. Reasons for caution: there is no price yet, Tesla has missed every previous Roadster production date, the $45,000 balance is due within 10 days, Tesla states refunds for modifications will not be issued, and key details such as range testing, weight and road legality for the thruster versions are still open.

A practical middle path for many buyers is to wait until Tesla publishes prices and the reservation agreement details, then decide. If you want a Roadster you can drive today, a well-documented original Roadster is a very different but real option. For the full story from 2006 to 2028, return to the Tesla Roadster hub.