Latest Tesla Roadster delay is like deja vu all over again. And Elon's pitch to long-suffering deposit holders is a doozy!

Seven years after the automotive world was knocked on its heels by the unveiling of a breathtakingly sleek second-generation Tesla Roadster Concept, a production version is still nowhere to be seen.

And although Technoking of Tesla (aka CEO) Elon Musk says “we are working on it”, the EV pioneer concedes the Roadster’s development is not at the top of the company’s new-model priority list.

That would appear obvious given the Roadster concept was unveiled in late 2017 as a surprise addition to the introduction of the Tesla Semi truck, with Musk at the time confirming it would be on the road by 2020.

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Which obviously didn’t happen, with Musk more recently pointing to a 2024 arrival. But speaking at a recent shareholder meeting he pushed the car’s launch even further back saying it would go into production during 2025.

"I'd certainly like to thank our long-suffering deposit holders of the Tesla Roadster," he said.

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"The reason it hasn't come out yet is because the Roadster is not just the icing on the cake, it's the cherry on the icing on the cake.

"We'd all love to work on the next-gen Tesla Roadster. It is super fun, and we are working on it, but it has to come behind the things that have a more serious impact on the good of the world," he said.

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It’s worth noting Tesla is still accepting deposits for the car on its website with “an initial $7000 credit card payment, plus a $59,000 bank transfer payment due in 10 days.” List price is unchanged at $326,000.

The all-wheel drive, quad-motor, four-seat Roadster concept is claimed to accelerate from in 0-100km/h in 2.1 seconds, with Musk stating earlier this year the car will run 0-97km/h (0-60mph) in less than a second when fitted with the optional (rocket-boosted) SpaceX package. It is also claimed to offer a 400km/h-plus top speed and 1000km range.