Electric vehicle maker %Tesla ($TSLA) has begun taking reservations for its new %Roadster with a $50,000 U.S. security deposit.
People wanting to make a reservation can pay $5,000 U.S. via credit card, with an additional $45,000 U.S. due by wire transfer within 10 days to secure a spot on the Roadster wait list. The deposit is fully refundable, according to Tesla.
The Roadster, which is a fully electric sports car, first debuted more than four years ago. Since then, it has suffered many delays and long periods of silence between communications from the company about its progress.
It’s not clear from Tesla when the first deliveries of the highly anticipated Roadster will begin, but there is speculation online that the first ones will be shipped to consumers by the end of 2023.
Tesla is now more equipped for Roadster production with its Giga manufacturing plant in Texas opened, and the 4680-battery cell in development. However, Tesla continues to struggle with Lithium supplies for not just the Roadster but also its new %Cybertruck and Semi vehicles.
The company has claimed that the Roadster can hit 60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds and that it has a 250 mile per hour top speed. Additionally, the 200-kWh battery in the Roadster is said to provide up to 620 miles of range on a single charge.
Tesla has set the base model price for its Roadster at $200,000 U.S., with the top model selling for $250,000 U.S.