Jay Leno had to remind Tesla executives that the Roadster exists
In a short but funny interaction, Jay Leno had to remind Tesla executives that the Roadster still exists – sort of, since it has been delayed seemingly indefinitely.
The next-generation Roadster has become basically a running gag in the Tesla community.
I’ve asked Grok, Elon Musk’s truth-seeking AI, to compile all the times the CEO announced timelines to bring the Roadster to production and compare them to reality:
- Initial Announcement (November 2017):
- Announced Launch: 2020.
- Reality: Delayed; no production by 2020. Revised to mid-to-late 2021 in July 2020.
- July 2020 Update:
- Announced Launch: Mid-to-late 2021.
- Reality: Delayed; no production by 2021. Revised to 2022 in January 2021.
- January 2021 Update:
- Announced Launch: 2022.
- Reality: Delayed; no production by 2022. Revised to 2023 in September 2021.
- September 2021 Update:
- Announced Launch: 2023.
- Reality: Delayed; no production by 2023. Revised to 2024 in May 2023.
- May 2023 Update:
- Announced Launch: 2024.
- Reality: Delayed; no production by 2024. Revised to 2025 in February and October 2024.
- February 2024 and October 2024 Updates:
- Announced Launch: 2025 (production version unveil by end of 2024, deliveries in 2025).
- Reality: Current target; not yet launched as of February 11, 2025 and the production version was not unveiled in 2024.
We are coming up on a decade since the original unveiling, and Tesla has nothing to show for it despite not having launched a new vehicle other than the Cybertruck over the last 5 years.
Based on Musk’s last update, Tesla was supposed to unveil the production version by the end of 2024, which did not happen, and then start production in 2025.
Tesla has basically gone silent on the program other than being listed “in development” without a production location for years in its list of vehicle programs (still the same as of last month’s update):
The current state of the Tesla Roadster program couldn’t have been better illustrated than by this quick conversation between Jay Leno and Tesla executives Franz von Holzhausen and Lars Moravy.
As we have often reported, Tesla doesn’t have a press relations department and doesn’t maintain any relationships with US media other than with a few “friendly” publications and media personalities, including Jay Leno.
Tesla gave Leno an exclusive look and first drive at the new Model Y, which is not expected to hit US roads until next month:
During the drive, Leno asked von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer. and Moravy, Tesla VP of engineering, if the new Model Y would come with a three-motor powertrain.
Moravy answered:
“We do not make three, just one or two. Three is reserved for Plaid and the Beast.”
By that, he meant the top performance “Plaid” versions of Model S and Model X, which do come with a tri-motor powertrain, and the Cyberbeast version of the Cybertruck.
Then Leno had to remind them that they said the Roadster would also have three motors:
“and the Roadster?”
Then, both executives repeated “and the Roadster” before quickly moving on.
Electrek’s Take
I think the odds of Tesla launching the new Roadster this year just crashed. Not that they were very high to start with.
It’s true that the Roadster wouldn’t be very impactful as a vehicle program, but it would make things fun and exciting at Tesla again with some cutting-edge fun EVs to drive rather than everything being about self-driving.
It would be a fun distraction amid failing FSD deployment, crashing sales, lower margins, etc.
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Kia’s electric sports car will smoke a Ferrari and Lamborghini off the line, and it’s already less than half the cost. Now, Kia’s 576 horsepower EV6 GT is even cheaper to drive with nearly $20,000 in lease savings. Here’s how you can get your hands on one.
The EV6 GT arrived in 2022 as the “most powerful Kia production vehicle ever.” With up to 576 horsepower, Kia’s electric sports car can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds.
Kia went all out, adding fun features and different drive modes, such as “GT” and “drift.” The GT drive mode adjusts the vehicle’s motor, brakes, steering, suspension, and more for better performance.
To prove its power, Kia put its EV sports car up against a Ferrari Roma and Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder. Certified by an independent test from AMCI, the Kia EV6 GT beat both off the line. Not only is the Kia faster, but it’s also about half the cost.
The 2024 Kia EV6 GT starts at $61,600. A 2024 Ferrari Roma will run you about $245,000, while a new 2024 Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder starts at just over $300,000.
According to online car research firm CarsDirect, the 2024 Kia EV6 GT now features $19,050 in lease cash (24-month lease). With the option of Single Pay leases, you can also score lower lease rates.
If you’re looking for something with a little less performance (and a lower price), Kia is offering $10,000 in Customer Cash on all 2024 EV6 models. The EV6 Light Long Range RWD ($45,950 MSRP) is listed for lease at just $179 for 24 months, with $3,499 due upfront.
The discounts come with the new 2025 model year arriving, which has an even longer driving range (319 miles Kia-est) and an NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers. The new EV6 GT trim will also pull additional features from Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 N, including a Virtual Gear Shift (VGS) function.
Want to get behind the wheel of Kia’s electric sports car and test it out for yourself? You can use our link to find the best deals on the 2024 Kia EV6 (including the GT model) near you.
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Environment
India’s oil minister says ‘we play by the rules,’ as markets weigh U.S. energy sanctions
India will cooperate with international sanctions, the country’s oil minister told CNBC on Tuesday, as markets eye future U.S. policy under the new administration of President Donald Trump.
“We play by the rules. If there is an international sanction, which is anchored, we would not want to go around it or anything,” India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri told CNBC’s Sri Jegarajah on the sidelines of the annual India Energy Week conference.
“On Russia, yes, there was a price cap, and we adhered strictly to the price cap. Going forward, if there are issues, we will address them.”
India’s refiners have been snapping up discounted Russian oil since Western and G7 energy sanctions barred many consumers from Moscow’s supplies, in an effort to whittle down Russia’s war coffers after its invasion of Ukraine. Countries not subject to the measures have been able to use insurance and shipping providers to facilitate the acquisition and transport of Russian crude procured under a price threshold.
New Delhi has repeatedly defended its purchases as a matter of national interest.
“There is no sanctioned country, first of all. It’s a lot of misrepresentation that’s taking place. Today, Europe still buys 25% of its gas from Russia. They buy other critical energy from there. So there’s no sanction,” the energy minister said Tuesday.
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He also signaled that the government of Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, had endorsed India’s bolstered intake of Russian oil.
“I’ve had a chat with the Americans, the previous administration. They said, please buy as much as you like. Just make sure that you buy it within the price cap. And that’s what we did,” Puri said. CNBC has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.
India met about 88% of its oil needs via imports between April and November 2024, little changed from a year earlier, official data showed. As of January, about 40% of those imports came from Russia, data from trade intelligence firm Kpler suggests.
In 2021, Russian oil accounted for just 12% of the country’s oil imports by volume. By 2024, that share had surged to over 37%, according to Kpler data.
Sanctions in focus
The U.S. has been key in shaping global energy policy through sanctions over the past decade. In January, the U.S. imposed sweeping measures targeting Russia’s energy firms and the operators of vessels transporting oil — a move that analysts believe will make it harder for buyers like India to continue importing cheap Russian crude.
Investors have been waiting to see whether the newly installed Trump will pursue a ramp-up or relaxation of U.S. energy restrictions — critical to markets because the U.S. dollar denominates crude and oil product commodities.
Trump imposed sanctions affecting the Iranian and Venezuelan energy sectors during his first mandate and has taken an “America First” approach that could further incentivize domestic output — amid questions over the impact that threatened U.S. tariffs could have on global supply elsewhere.
Puri signaled his country would not be adverse to additional acquisitions of U.S. volumes. “If Americans are putting in more energy onto the global market, somebody asked me: ‘Are you going to buy more? I said: ‘I’d be surprised if we don’t.’ Because it’s in the natural flow,” he added.
The sanctions and trade developments are coinciding with a period when India’s oil consumption growth has outpaced that of China, contributing to 25% of the global increase in oil consumption.
“I am convinced that geopolitical tensions need to be managed,” Puri said Tuesday, noting current characterizations of supply-demand fundamentals in the oil market are “depending on whom you’re talking to and depending on where they stand on the equation,” as producers or consumers.
“A country like India, with a robust demand and a current consumption of 5.5 million barrels [per day] has a contribution to make in terms of which way the market goes. And we… we plan to use that leverage,” the oil minister added.
US EV prices held steady in January, and incentive spending dropped 3.1% from December, according to the latest monthly new-vehicle average transaction price (ATP) report from Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book.
Average transaction prices for EVs in January, at $55,614, were higher by nearly 1% compared to a downwardly revised December. EV prices last month were lower year-over-year by 1.4%. Incentive spending on EVs in January decreased by 3.1% compared to December but was higher by 48.6% year-over-year.
Overall, EV costs are falling – compared to the overall auto industry, EV ATPs were higher by 14.3%. A year ago, the price premium versus the industry was 17.4%.
ATPs for market leader Tesla, at $55,380, were higher year-over-year by 4.5%. Cybertruck prices fell year-over-year by 6.5% to just under $98,000. Model X prices were also lower year-over-year.
The two most popular EVs in the US, the Model Y and Model 3, both saw transaction prices increase year-over-year by 2.2% and 6.2%, respectively.
The $7,500 tax credit is now missing from the Tesla website. What will Tesla’s February sales volume look like?
As for total new-vehicle sales volume in January, it was higher year-over-year by 5.1% but lower by more than 25% compared to a robust December. New-vehicle inventory at the beginning of January was below 3 million units for the first time since late October.
Read more: In December, EV sales were still up and incentives were still sweet – Kelley Blue Book
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