Tesla put the Roadster reservation page back online this week, and buyers in the United States, Canada, Europe and China can once again reserve a spot for the electric sports car the company first showed off in 2017. The timing is no accident, since Tesla has a Roadster reveal event scheduled for October 1, 2026, in Waco, Texas, and the reservation page went live just days ahead of it.
The Roadster has a long history of slipped deadlines behind it, and Tesla had largely stopped taking new reservations for years. Now the company wants fresh deposits again, and buyers who sign up will hand over a meaningful sum before ever seeing a final price tag.
Payment terms by region
Every market Tesla has opened follows a similar pattern, a smaller card payment to claim a spot, followed by a larger wire transfer due within 10 days to lock the reservation in for good.
In the United States, buyers put down $5,000 by card right away, then send $45,000 by wire transfer within 10 days, which brings the total to $50,000, and Tesla lists the full amount as refundable.
Canadian buyers pay more across the board. The card payment there runs $6,000 CAD, and the wire transfer that follows comes to $58,000 CAD within the same 10-day window, for a combined total of $64,000 CAD, refundable under the same terms.
European buyers pay €4,000 up front by card and €39,000 by wire transfer within 10 days, and Tesla lists the total reservation payment at €43,000.
China works differently. Buyers there pay one reservation deposit of ¥332,000 RMB, which comes out to roughly $52,000 USD, and Tesla says that amount can be refunded in full.
Price still unknown
Tesla is asking for tens of thousands of dollars from buyers, and it still hasn’t said what the production Roadster will actually cost once it reaches customers. Company statements say pricing depends on which options and hardware configurations end up on the final car, and buyers won’t get a real number until they sit down and configure their own vehicle.
Tesla has also said the deposit can be pulled back at any point, right up until a buyer signs a Motor Vehicle Purchase Agreement, and given how many times this car has been delayed already, that signing could still be a year or more out.
A reveal event tied to the reopening
The reservation page went live just ahead of Tesla’s confirmed October 1 reveal in Waco, and the company had already been teasing the date with a “Go for launch” campaign earlier in the month. Reports say Tesla sent invitations to existing reservation holders and asked for RSVPs by September 16, which lines up with how the company has handled past product reveals.
Industry watchers see the reopening as a signal that Tesla feels closer to an actual production car, since there would be little reason to collect fresh deposits otherwise. And because the money can come back at any time before a purchase agreement gets signed, the structure gives Tesla a way to gauge real demand without locking anyone in early. Buyers keep the option to walk away for as long as that agreement stays unsigned.
Tesla has said in the past that the Roadster will be built in Texas, though the company hasn’t given a formal date for when production will start. The specs Tesla continues to advertise, a top speed past 250 mph and close to 620 miles of range, remain promotional numbers for now, and whether they hold up will become clearer once the car appears at the October reveal.
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