YouTube user MKBHD's $50,000 investment in the Roadster would exceed $1 million today if he had invested in Tesla stock (2 photos)

A dream deferred: Tesla Roadster eight years after announcement

Eight years have passed since Tesla promised to release a second-generation Roadster, but the car has yet to enter mass production. In 2017, the company assured customers that production would begin by 2020, and many paid $5,000 for pre-orders, followed by another $45,000 as a deposit. However, the project remains in the stage of renderings, prototypes and social media posts.

A Complicated Refund Process

Many who paid for the Roadster were left wondering how to cancel their order and get their money back. As YouTuber Marques Brownlee, known by his nickname MKBHD, has shown, the process was not easy. He said he tried to contact Tesla through the app, got a phone number, but his call went to answering machine. When he did speak to a company representative, he admitted that he didn’t know how to cancel, but promised to resolve the issue.



Refunds and lost opportunities

After much effort, Tesla confirmed that it would refund Brownlee's $45,000 deposit, but not the $5,000 that was paid for the pre-order. However, a week later, the company did refund the full amount, perhaps realizing that its website stated that the funds were fully refundable. The money was likely used to finance the development of the Roadster or other models, or was sitting in accounts, accumulating interest.

Fun fact: If Brownlee had invested $50,000 in Tesla stock in 2017, when it was around $22, instead of reserving a car that doesn’t exist yet, his investment would be worth more than $1 million today, given the current share price of $454.

The Roadster story is a reminder of the risks involved in investing in innovative projects that can drag on for years. While Tesla has made significant strides in the electric vehicle industry, such cases underscore the importance of careful planning and alternative options for investors. In the meantime, customers still waiting for their cars may want to consider reallocating their funds into more predictable assets.