# Tesla Roadster launch

Business · Heat 1.3 / 10 · 5 shows · 17m airtime

Tesla held its Roadster launch event on October 16, 2026, taking a $5,000 credit card deposit with a $45,000 wire due within 10 days. Musk said the car goes into production in 2028 and will be Tesla's last human-driven vehicle, and Tesla will offer three versions, including a non-street-legal SpaceX-thruster model called Rocket. The car was built with SpaceX engineers using ultra-high-pressure air to lift it, feeding merger expectations. Prediction markets now put a 50% chance on a Tesla-SpaceX merger by April, and the discussion centers on the production timeline, what the human-driven claim means for the rest of the lineup, and whether the SpaceX involvement points to a merger.

Page: https://boilpoints.com/point/tesla_roadster_launch_1561765372

## Segments

- [TBPN](https://boilpoints.com/u/tbpn), 2026-10-16, 27:41 to 30:53: **Covers Roadster deposit terms and timing**. Covers the Roadster launch timing and deposit terms, with one host saying he put down $5,000 and owes a $45,000 wire within 10 days. New angle: The Roadster deposit is $5,000 on a credit card with a $45,000 wire due within 10 days.
- [WSJ What's News](https://boilpoints.com/u/wsjwhatsnews), 2026-10-16, 5:56 to 7:37: **Plays Musk's 2028 production promise**. Covers the launch event itself: the rocket-assisted ramp climb and midair flip, the kickflip over five Teslas, a sub-one-second 0 to 60, and Musk on stage in Texas saying production starts in 2028 and the Roadster will be Tesla's last human-driven car. New angle: Musk said on stage the Roadster goes into production in 2028 and will be Tesla's last human-driven car.
- [Morning Brew Daily](https://boilpoints.com/u/morningbrewdaily), 2026-10-16, 2:41 to 4:08: **Covers the Texas launch and SpaceX role**. Covers the Texas launch event itself: the ramp climb, the flip, the flight over other cars, the sub-one-second 0-60 claim, and the 2028 production date. Adds the SpaceX engineering collaboration and the merger chatter around it. New angle: The Roadster was built with SpaceX engineers using ultra-high-pressure air to lift the car, feeding merger expectations.
- [Morning Brew Daily](https://boilpoints.com/u/morningbrewdaily), 2026-10-16, 4:08 to 8:03: **Weighs the launch as a brand stunt**. Analyzes the launch as a brand-building stunt and stays inside the merger and deposit angles already on the record, adding a what-if on the 2017 deposit versus Tesla stock.
- [Closing Bell](https://boilpoints.com/u/closingbell), 2026-10-16, 18:58 to 20:58: **Reports three Roadster versions from the reveal**. CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports from the reveal: three Roadster versions are planned, including a SpaceX-thruster model called Rocket that is not street legal, with production in 2028 and pricing still unannounced. New angle: Tesla will offer three Roadster versions, including a non-street-legal SpaceX-thruster model called Rocket.
- [The Best One Yet](https://boilpoints.com/u/thebestoneyet), 2026-10-19, 5:48 to 10:34: **Recaps the Roadster reveal and merger odds**. Recaps the Thursday night reveal - the ramp flip, the kickflip over five Teslas, the compressed-air thrust - and argues it is stock marketing rather than product marketing. Adds a prediction-market figure: 50 percent odds of a Tesla-SpaceX merger by April. New angle: Prediction markets put a 50% chance on a Tesla-SpaceX merger by April.