Nearly a decade ago, Tesla unveiled two vehicles that seemed to represent very different pieces of the company’s future: the second-generation Roadster and the Tesla Semi. The Roadster was the glitzy showstopper, promising outrageous acceleration aided by rocket theatrics. The Semi was much less glamorous; it was an electric Class 8 heavy-duty truck to haul freight. While the Semi eventually hit the road in limited quantities, the Roadster (despite Tesla’s CEO stating it would be on roads by 2020) got no further than that stage.
Fast-forward to 2026 and Tesla is once again talking Roadster. On Oct. 1, the company is relaunching the car it first showcased in November 2017 and then left for dead, but this time, there’s apparently a plan. The original promises for this car included a 0-60mph time of just 1.1 seconds, with SpaceX-derived cold gas thrusters (and possible flight…which will be tough considering the car’s claimed 200 kWh battery) getting it there. Likely, those same claims will be made in October. The acceleration is probably possible; the rest is simply spectacle for spectacle’s sake. Yet none of it matters, because prioritizing the Roadster right now is a mistake.
The Roadster’s relaunch has nothing to do with growing the company and has everything to do with the CEO growing his personal wealth. This move is likely Elon Musk wanting to prove that SpaceX and Tesla go hand in hand, allowing him to make a case for the companies to be combined, which would inch him closer to the performance benchmarks needed for him to earn a $1 trillion bonus. Yes, the richest man in the world is distracted by money.
Assuming Tesla has finite engineering, manufacturing, and management resources (which is a reasonable assumption), it’s difficult to understand why (aside from the point made above) so much attention should continue to go toward a low-volume supercar when the Semi could address much larger issues facing society.
The EPA’s 2027 emissions requirements for heavy-duty vehicles are substantially more stringent than they are right now. The new NOx standard for ICE rigs drops from 0.2 grams per brake horsepower-hour to 0.035. At the same time, manufacturers must maintain this compliance for as much as 650,000 miles, some 200,000 miles more than before. That means substantially more emissions-control equipment, engineering complexity, maintenance considerations, longer warranty periods, and, ultimately, increased costs for truck operators. Estimates have big-rig prices jumping anywhere from $3,000 to $25,000 per unit.
Truck fleet operators are already making purchasing decisions based on the 2027 emissions rules, and the Tesla Semi could capitalize on that should there be enough Semis to go around. The Semi doesn't need to convince truck buyers that electric vehicles are cool; it needs to show them that an electric big rig can do the job, bringing with it lower maintenance and fuel costs. With that comes lower delivery costs, which benefits us all – not just the billionaire on top.
Tesla missed the opportunity to establish the Semi as a global force by not making its Semi a priority nearly a decade ago. But that’s hindsight. The opportunity now is more immediate: get the Semi into mass production, building out the charging infrastructure in the process and capitalizing on fleets that are struggling to justify the increased costs that are associated with the bump in EPA emission requirements.
The Roadster would be fun for the elite few, for Elon’s buddies. It would generate headlines by Tesla influencers. It would demonstrate what Tesla's technology can do. But Tesla has already made fast cars. That means that when it comes to the Roadster, it’s a vanity project Elon Musk can post on X about while inching toward a ludicrous net worth. For the rest of us, it’s as inconsequential as Tesla Tequila, the Cyberwhistle, Tesla shorts, and the Tesla surfboard.
The Semi offers a real chance for Tesla to be positively beneficial to society. The Semi can show that electric power can not only replace diesel, but it can bring down the cost of goods at the grocery store – it can be a net positive for society. The Roadster? At this point, it’s a bad 10-year-old joke.
(Image courtesy Tesla)
