Tesla’s long-awaited second-generation Roadster is officially in active development, with the automaker setting its sights not only on building the best electric performance car yet, but something “a little more than a car.” That’s according to Lars Moravy, Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, who confirmed the project is very much alive and progressing behind closed doors.
In a recent statement, Moravy confirmed that Tesla is pushing the boundaries of automotive engineering as it crafts the new Roadster, a vehicle first unveiled in prototype form back in 2017. When asked about its current status, Moravy said the project is “definitely in development” and that the team has been in direct discussion with Tesla CEO Elon Musk regarding its future.
Moravy added that Tesla’s engineers are “preparing for super cool demos,” a comment that echoes Musk’s own cryptic teaser from earlier this month. Posting on X, Musk wrote: “I just left the Tesla design studio. By the end of the year, you will see an epic demo, the best ever.” Although he did not specify what product the announcement referred to, speculation has naturally centered around the new Roadster.
“I think it’s going to be incredible,” said Moravy, reinforcing expectations that the vehicle will be nothing short of groundbreaking.
The Roadster, which was initially pitched as the fastest production car ever made—with a sub-2-second 0-60 mph time and a top speed north of 250 mph—has repeatedly faced production delays. However, Moravy’s latest comments suggest that Tesla is refining not just the specs, but the entire philosophy behind the vehicle.
“The Roadster has to be the best, and we’re making it better and better,” Moravy explained, hinting at iterative enhancements and major technological leaps behind the scenes. “It’s a little bit more than just the car,” he added. “We showed Elon some great demos last week, which are related to the technology we’re working on. He was excited.”
Earlier this year, Moravy also revealed that Musk had challenged the team to go “a step further” than originally planned, which led engineers to realize they could surpass even their own ambitious benchmarks. This suggests Tesla may be integrating innovations from other divisions—possibly SpaceX-inspired tech or advanced autonomy features.
Moravy, who has been with Tesla since 2010 and assumed his current role in 2019, emphasized that the team has been rethinking every detail: “We’ve spent a lot of time over the past few years thinking about what we’ve done so far and why, and what would make the car great and exciting—the best for drivers.”
With the promise of an “epic demo” coming before the end of the year, anticipation is once again mounting. The Roadster may have taken longer than expected to resurface, but all signs point to a reinvention that could redefine not just electric performance, but the very notion of what a hypercar can be in the EV era.
Source: Tesla