Tesla is to reveal its long-delayed Roadster tonight with SpaceX thrusters that could let it briefly fly

Nearly nine years after Elon Musk first unveiled a prototype, Tesla is set to finally show off its production Roadster at a SpaceX test site in Waco, Texas, tonight at 7:55 p.m. Central Time. The reveal had already been pushed back two weeks from an October 1 date after bad weather threatened to ruin a rumoured hovering demonstration. Musk has claimed the car will hit 60 mph in under a second, exceed 250 mph, and travel 620 miles on a single charge — with an optional SpaceX cold-gas thruster package that could give it limited airborne capability.

Musk has described the Roadster as the 'last new vehicle driven by humans that Tesla will make', with production unlikely before late 2027 at the earliest.

Analysts warn the EV market has cooled sharply since 2017 — one called it Tesla's chance to 'break its streak of disappointing product announcements'.