Image Courtesy: Tesla
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has said the company may eventually phase out human driven vehicles almost entirely, leaving the long delayed Roadster as the only model designed for manual driving. The statement, made during Tesla’s latest earnings call, outlines a long term strategy focused heavily on autonomous vehicles across all segments.
The shift reflects Tesla’s broader push toward self driving technology, with Musk suggesting that most future models will be fully autonomous by design. This includes smaller vehicles like the upcoming Cybercab, which is expected to play a central role in Tesla’s future lineup. The Roadster, first announced years ago, would remain the exception for drivers who still want full control, as reported by AutoNews.
The next generation Tesla Roadster has been in development since 2017, when Tesla began taking deposits for the two seat electric sports car. Over time, Musk has attached ambitious performance targets to the vehicle, including a zero to 60 miles per hour time of under two seconds. He has also hinted at unconventional features inspired by aerospace technology, though these remain unverified.
Despite repeated delays, Musk indicated the Roadster could be revealed soon, suggesting a demonstration may take place within weeks. However, no confirmed production timeline has been shared, continuing a pattern of shifting launch expectations that has followed the project for years.
The announcement comes as Tesla faces increasing scrutiny over its self driving capabilities. During the same earnings call, Musk acknowledged that earlier hardware, known as Hardware 3, does not have the capability to achieve fully unsupervised driving. This marks a notable shift from previous claims that existing vehicles could eventually reach that level through software updates alone.
Tesla is now exploring hardware upgrades for older vehicles, including potential changes to its onboard computing systems. Newer versions of its self driving hardware are also in development, with incremental improvements aimed at supporting more advanced driver assistance features. However, even these systems may fall short of delivering fully autonomous driving without further advances.
The company’s long term strategy suggests a transition toward a fleet of autonomous vehicles designed for different use cases, from personal transport to shared mobility services. In that context, the Roadster stands apart as a niche offering focused on performance and driver engagement rather than automation.
If Tesla follows through on this direction, it would represent a significant shift in how cars are designed and used. The emphasis would move away from driving as an activity and toward transportation as a service, with manual control becoming a specialized feature rather than the default.
