Next Tesla Roadster Won't Arrive Until 2019

Luke Vandezande
by Luke Vandezande

A new sports car from Tesla is coming, but it won’t arrive for several years.

During a shareholder meeting yesterday, CEO Elon Musk said the successor to Tesla’s Roadster electric sports car is “probably five years away,” also saying the company is planning something on “a fairly exciting upgrade to the roadster” that will be available this year without offering further details. In the past, Tesla had hoped to field a roadster replacement as early as 2015.

Before that can happen, the company needs to clear the other items on its plate. First, Tesla needs to secure a location for its first battery factory. Musk said a final decision on the matter will be made by the end of the year, but that until then the company plans to lay foundations in three states.

Musk might also not still be in the chief executive position at Tesla by the time the next roadster type vehicle arrives. He is currently committed to remaining on board in the role through the launch of the Gen III affordable electric car.

GALLERY: Tesla Roadster

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Luke Vandezande
Luke Vandezande

Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.

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