Tesla’s long-awaited Roadster could finally debut this month

Tesla plans to unveil a redesigned Roadster as early as this month, The Information reported on ​Friday, nearly a decade after the electric-vehicle maker ‌first revealed a next-generation version of its original sports car.

The event could include a demonstration of a limited-edition Roadster with ​cold-gas thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX, the ​report said, citing people familiar with the plans. ⁠The demonstration is expected to take place at SpaceX's ​test site in McGregor, Texas.

Tesla did not immediately respond ​to a Reuters request for comment.

Tesla originally revealed the next-generation Roadster in 2017 and said deliveries would begin in 2020, but ​the company has since delayed the program.

The redesigned ​Roadster could be remotely operated during the demonstration because of the ‌noise ⁠and force generated by its thrusters, The Information reported.

The report said the company's standard Roadster and the limited SpaceX-branded edition are expected to look similar. The new ​thruster-equipped version is ​not expected ⁠to be street legal and could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, or ​potentially millions, the report added.

Tesla initially accepted $50,000 ​deposits for ⁠the standard version and $250,000 for the Founder's Series limited edition.

The Roadster program has reportedly evolved from a conventional ⁠high-performance ​EV into an all-new carbon-fiber hypercar, ​after Tesla abandoned an alternative approach based on Model S Plaid components.

-Reuters