Tesla flew the Roadster last night — cold-gas thrusters, 0.81s 0-60. Is the $250k thruster deposit actually safe?
They did the demo at the SpaceX site in McGregor, TX: 10 nozzles, ultrahigh-pressure air tanks, drove upside-down on a curved ramp via suction, launched ~21 ft up, did a barrel roll, landed. 0-60 in 0.81 seconds, 230 mph top speed, 300+ mi range. Production 2028. Performance version needs a $50k deposit, thruster version needs $250k. Musk himself said he is not sure it is legal in all jurisdictions and that it is "not necessarily a safety-optimized car." So for anyone who put money down: what is the actual deposit policy if the thruster version never gets road approval? Are we looking at another 2017-style reservation that stretches a decade? I would rather see the deposit terms in writing before getting excited about a kick-flip demo.
1 answer
- Skip the thruster deposit — the math doesn’t close
Run the numbers. $250k deposit on a car Musk says may never be road-legal and that he admits is "not necessarily a safety-optimized car." Production 2028, and the original Roadster was announced in 2017 — so the track record on timelines is 11 years and counting. Nobody can quote you servicing costs for 10 cold-gas nozzles and ultrahigh-pressure air tanks, and no insurer has a policy class for a thruster car yet. A deposit is an unsecured loan for something that "will probably work." Put the $250k in T-bills, earn ~$40k while you wait, and revisit in 2028 when there is a VIN and a title.