Tesla Roadster Targets August Reveal in Texas With SpaceX “A71” Cold Gas Thruster System
5 min read read
After nearly nine years and at least eight confirmed delays, Tesla is targeting August 2026 for the first public reveal of its next-generation Roadster — this time at Gigafactory Texas, where the vehicle will also eventually be built. The event is now expected to center on a dramatic demonstration of the SpaceX cold gas thruster package, internally code-named “A71.”
According to a report from The Information citing four people with direct knowledge of the program, Tesla and SpaceX engineers gave Elon Musk an early A71 system demonstration in late April 2026. That private demo appears to have reset the timeline yet again, with Musk reportedly wanting more development time before a public debut.
What Is the A71 SpaceX Package?
The A71 is a cold gas thruster system developed through collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX. Distributed around the exterior of the Roadster, the thrusters are designed to do something no production car has ever done: dramatically reduce acceleration times and, in a feature Musk has long promised, briefly lift the vehicle’s body off the ground.
| Variant | 0–60 mph | Top Speed | Range | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Roadster | 1.9 seconds | 250+ mph | 620 miles | 200 kWh |
| SpaceX Package (A71) | Sub-1.1 seconds | 250+ mph | TBD | 200 kWh |
Tesla plans two production variants: a limited-edition SpaceX package model featuring the full A71 system, and a scaled-down standard version. Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen and VP of Engineering Lars Moravy confirmed in a recent interview that the vehicle is currently in testing and will be manufactured at Gigafactory Texas.
A History of Delays
The Roadster’s delay record is now a story unto itself. When Musk surprised the audience at the original Cybertruck unveiling in November 2017 by rolling a Roadster prototype off the back of a Semi, he promised production would begin in 2020. That deadline passed, followed by a series of rolling targets:
Previous targets: 2020 production start → 2023 → 2024 → April 1, 2026 (reveal) → Late April 2026 → “early summer” 2026 → August 2026 (current).
At Tesla’s Q1 2026 earnings call in April, Musk indicated the reveal would happen “in about a month.” That deadline passed without an event. An internal soft target of June appears to have also slipped when A71 thruster development required additional work, per The Information’s sources.
Reservation Holders Still Waiting
Thousands of early supporters placed deposits ranging from $50,000 for standard reservations to $250,000 for the Founders Series. None have received a production vehicle after nearly a decade of waiting. Production is currently estimated to begin no earlier than mid-2027, according to Tesla’s 2025 shareholder meeting disclosures.
No pricing has been officially confirmed for either variant. When the original Roadster prototype was unveiled in 2017, Musk suggested a base price starting around $200,000, but that figure has never been officially reaffirmed.
The Bottom Line for Tesla Watchers
If the August 2026 Texas reveal does take place, it will end one of the longest delays in modern automotive history and deliver what could be one of the most technically unusual production cars ever made — a vehicle that uses rocket-derived thruster technology for acceleration and handling. The demonstration of the A71 system will serve as the headline moment, with Musk expected to showcase the cold gas thrusters live on stage or on track.
The caveat, given the pattern, is obvious: the reveal is still described as targeting August “or possibly later.” Reservation holders who have waited since 2017 have learned not to treat any Tesla Roadster date as final until the car is physically in front of them.
Photo: Futuristic Tesla concept / Pexels