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The reservation page went live almost as soon as the livestream ended. What Tesla did not put up was a production price, a delivery date earlier than 2028, or a confirmed range. What it did put up was a button that takes a deposit.
If that button is tempting, ten minutes of reading is cheap. This is general information, not financial advice, and I am not a financial advisor.
What you can reserve
According to TechCrunch and Fox Business, Tesla’s website lists three versions. Performance is the “road ready” one, with two seats, active aerodynamics, and a suction system, and it carries a $50,000 deposit. Thrust is “race ready,” adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters and the sub-one-second acceleration, and asks for $250,000. Rocket is invite-only, seats one, and has ten thrusters around the car, which Tesla describes as a full flight system.
Yahoo Autos describes the Performance payment differently: $5,000 due right away and $45,000 more within ten days. That is a big difference in how much leaves your account on day one, so check the order page before you click anything.
A deposit is a place in line
It is not a price. Tesla has not published a final price for any version. Yahoo Autos points out that the original base model was $200,000 and the Founders Series was $250,000, and that inflation, delays, and new hardware could all push the number up. Musk said the car will be built in 2028, which is about two years out if nothing slips.
Something usually slips with this car. Tesla showed the second-generation Roadster in 2017 and, per Fox Business, said deliveries would start in 2020. TechCrunch counts later delays announced in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024.
The car has changed on the way, too. Yahoo Autos recalls the 2017 pitch as 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, 250-plus mph, and 600-plus miles of range. This year’s claims are under one second, over 230 mph, and about 300 miles, although Axios says range was not disclosed at all. So the car you would be reserving is a moving target, and the date is a hope.
What to get in writing
None of the coverage I read describes the refund terms. That is the first thing I would look for in the order agreement, along with what happens to your deposit if the price or the specifications change. If the range, performance, or features end up different from the announcement, can you walk away and get the money back? The coverage does not say whether the deposit sits in a separate account either. If an answer is not in writing, I would assume there is not one.
Will it be legal to drive?
Probably the least glamorous question, and probably the most important. Yahoo Autos reports that the door latches look mechanical, unlike Tesla’s usual electronic ones, and that the car seems to have no side-view mirrors, which raises questions about federal street-legal rules. Asked whether the car is street legal, Musk said, “Depends on your street,” and added that “it’ll be a viable car.”
The Rocket is another story. Axios says it is not approved for public roads, and Yahoo points out that the FAA generally treats anything airborne as an aircraft. I found nothing in the coverage that sketches how a private owner would ever get a flying car approved. So forget the commute over traffic for now. The Performance version is the only one that looks anything like a normal road car, and I still have questions about it.
Safety is not the pitch
Musk was upfront about this. He called the car “not necessarily a safety optimized car,” told the crowd Tesla would “aspire not to kill anyone” in it, and said safety “is not the main goal,” per TechCrunch. Fair enough, and I respect the candor. But it should shape your decision. A car built around thrusters and high-pressure tanks raises obvious questions about crash testing, insurance and servicing. So far the coverage answers none of them.
The cost of waiting
Think about $50,000 sitting with Tesla for two years or more. You cannot spend it, invest it or lend it. At $250,000 the tie-up is five times bigger. Whether Tesla honors the deposit is not really the issue. What matters is what you could have done with that money meanwhile, and whether you can live with the answer “nothing happens until 2028 or later.”
If the deposit is refundable and you are simply curious, the downside may be small. If it is not refundable, treat it as money you are prepared to lose, or at least to tie up for a long time.
Who the ladder is for
Look at how the three versions are priced and you can see who Tesla expects to buy them. Performance is the closest thing to an ordinary purchase. Thrust costs five times as much to reserve. Rocket is not for sale in any normal sense. That is a small crowd of enthusiasts and collectors, not commuters. If you are not in that crowd, the better move may be to watch the first deliveries from a distance and read what real owners report. Before you decide, it is worth a call to your insurer and your state motor vehicle agency to find out what they would need.
Editor’s take
If you love cars and can afford to lose the deposit, a reservation is a harmless way to join in. If you are hoping for a flying commuter car, I would wait. What Tesla showed was a stunt on a closed course, and the road-going car has questions about mirrors, latches, and safety that nobody has answered yet. Put money down when you can see the price, the refund terms, and the legal status, not when the video is trending. If you do reserve, take a screenshot of the terms on the page the day you pay, because pages like this can change after the money has moved, and a dated record is the only proof of what you agreed to.
