Tesla Roadster reservation holders describe the frustrating process of getting their $50,000 deposit reimbursed after the automaker delayed the vehicle’s release by five years.
Update: the article previously mentioned that Tesla didn’t reimburse the $5,000, as per Brownlee, who now said that Tesla sent him the $5,000.
The next-gen Roadster has been sort of a running gag in the Tesla community for a while now.
Tesla first unveiled it in 2017, started taking reservations for it, and said that it would go into production in 2020.
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Eight years after the start of reservations and five years past when it was supposed to enter production, the next-gen Tesla Roadster is still nowhere to be seen.
Tesla charged between $50,000 and $250,000 in deposits for the Roadster, depending on whether customers opted for the “Founders Series” or not. Some people had placed that money in Tesla’s hands for eight years without the automaker delivering anything.
Marques Brownlee, a popular tech Youtuber, was one of those people, and he announced on his podcast last week that he finally decided to cancel his reservation after 8 years:
I’ve had two Tesla Roadsters in my Tesla account. one that I paid for. And the way that worked is you pay the $5,000 payment immediately for the reservation. And then within 10 days, you net $50,000 to Tesla. And then when they deliver the car, whenever that is, you will pay the rest of it. I think totaling $250,000. So Tesla has been sitting with my 50 grand for eight years and hasn’t done anything with it, obviously. Meanwhile, the other one in my account is a referral reward.
He is referring to a referral program that Tesla had at the time. If you helped Tesla sell enough cars, you could get discounts on the new Roadster or even free ones.
Brownlee had made enough referrals to receive a free Roadster and a second one at half price, so he decided to place a reservation for his second one.
He described a painful cancellation process:
You go to manage your reservation, and there is no cancel button next to the Roadster. You have to go in and hit manage. And when you hit manage, it goes, here’s a phone number. Here’s an email address. And you call that phone number. And I actually did this for a couple days and just got voicemail, which was great.
When he finally managed to talk to someone, it was a sales staff member who didn’t know how to cancel the Roadster, but assured him it would be taken care of.
He waited a while, but nothing happened, so he called back, and this time they could finally get him done and reportedly sent a check in the mail.
However, the wildest part is that Tesla is only reimbursing $45,000 out of the $50,000. Brownlee said:
I’ll get 45 grand back. The first 5K I don’t get back.
Update: Brownlee now says that Tesla ended up also sending him the $5,000.
The latest information from Tesla on the Roadster comes from CEO Elon Musk, who says that Tesla will unveil an updated version by the end of the year.
However, he said that almost every year for the last 5 years, and it never happened.
Here’s the relevant podcast episode:
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss electricity becoming the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, the new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more.
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Wallbox is ramping up its partnership with distributor Codale Electric Supply to roll out more EV chargers across the Mountain West, a region that’s seeing a rapid escalation of electrification programs and regional highway corridor build-outs.
Codale has become one of Wallbox’s most active distributors over the past two years, helping contractors, developers, and fleet operators procure Wallbox gear while also providing technical support and logistics. Now the two companies are scaling both AC and DC fast charging across Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada.
Under the new agreement, Codale will prioritize Wallbox Supernova DC fast chargers and Pulsar Family AC chargers. Codale is already coordinating upgrades of older charging systems and installing new ones across public, commercial, and multifamily sites. Early projects include collaborations with several charge point operators and large commercial portfolios, some of which are rolling out Supernova units in Q4.
The Mountain West has become a hotspot for charging expansion, and Wallbox and Codale say their partnership is designed to keep pace by streamlining installation and improving network reliability.
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Ignasi Alastuey, Wallbox’s chief business officer, said, “This partnership combines Wallbox’s innovation with Codale’s on-the-ground capabilities to rapidly scale charging networks across the Mountain West and set a new benchmark for EV infrastructure growth.”
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EcoFlow launches next Black Friday Sale phase with up to 80% off expanded lineup – starts from $149
EcoFlow has officially switched to its next Black Friday Sale phase of deals with up to 80% discounts, plenty of FREE gifts, bonus savings, and more. Among the new lineup, we spotted EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Portable Power Station bundled with 2x 220W solar panels and a FREE protective bag at $1,699 shipped, which is not only being exclusively offered direct from the brand, but is also dropping things lower than ever. One thing to note here is that, sadly, the extra savings code isn’t valid on this bundle. It would normally run you $5,199 for everything (including the $99 bag), with the bagless bundle at Amazon keeping lower at a starting rate of $3,999 and only dropping to $1,999 right now. This deal comes in $100 under its previous offer during the brand’s Halloween Sale, giving you a total $2,300 off the going rate ($3,500 off the MSRP) for the best new price that we have tracked anywhere. Be sure to head below to check out the newest phase of full Black Friday deals.
EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro power station is among the most beloved and highly rated backup power solutions from under the brand’s flag, and this solar bundle is quite the setup to grab now that it’s fallen so low in price. Covering away-from-home trips, as well as at-home emergencies, this station starts at a 3,600Wh LiFePO4 capacity that you can expand up to its 25kWh max with further investments. Your devices and appliances can receive up to 3,600W of regular power through the 14 output ports, with it even surging as high as 7,200W for those larger appliances that need more. You’ll be 440W closer to reaching its 1,600W max solar input, thanks to the bundled panels, with additional options for recharging from an AC outlet, as well as your car’s auxiliary port (or by using a compatible alternator charger).
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***Note: EcoFlow is continuing the usage of the promo code 25EFBFAFF at checkout for an extra 5% savings off your cart’s total, with none of the prices below having it factored in. Keep in mind that a number of offers are ineligible to receive the extra savings, but be sure to try it at checkout to ensure you’re getting the best possible savings during EcoFlow’s Black Friday Sale!
EcoFlow’s other direct Black Friday website-only deals/bundles:
RAPID Mag Qi2 10,000mAh 15W magnetic power bank: $55 (Reg. $90)
RAPID Mag Qi2.2 10,000mAh 25W magnetic power bank with built-in cable: $70 (Reg. $100)
DELTA 2 (2,048Wh) with extra battery and 2x 110W panels: $899 (Reg. $2,646)
Save thousands for Black Friday on Samsung smart washer/dryers, refrigerators, ovens, and more starting from $269
As part of Samsung’s ongoing Black Friday Sale event, we’re seeing deals that can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars on the smartest home appliance upgrades, including the Bespoke AI All-in-One Ventless Washer/Dryer Combo at $1,999 shipped, which is actually going for $110 less at Best Buy. There’s also the newer Vented Bespoke AI All-in-One Combo at $1,999 shipped, which you won’t find at Best Buy. The ventless model normally fetches $3,299 without discounts ($3,099 for the vented counterpart) direct from the brand, and starts lower at $2,970 at Best Buy, with 2025 having seen it more often down at $2,199 during sales. While we have seen it go lower in the past, especially 2024, you’re otherwise looking at the best prices we have tracked this year, letting you upgrade to a smarter way to do laundry with up to $1,300 savings, or save more by going with Samsung’s open-box option for $1,599 on the washer/dryer’s sale page down on the right-side options.
Alongside the washer/dryer combos above, we’ve curated a full list of Samsung’s best Black Friday appliance deals on other washers, dryers, refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, and more that you can browse by checking out our original coverage of this sale here.
Autel’s MaxiCharger AC Lite level 2 EV charger grants up to 50A speeds at new $398 Black Friday low (Save $171)
Lectric XP4 Standard Folding Utility e-bikes with $326 bundle: $999 (Reg. $1,325)
Lectric XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bikes with $449 bundles: $999 (Reg. $1,448)
Heybike Mars 2.0 Folding Fat-Tire e-bike with Black Friday gift: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
Heybike Ranger S Folding Fat-Tire e-bike with Black Friday gift: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
Best new Green Deals landing this week
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.