If you have been eagerly holding your breath for Elon Musk’s sci-fi dreams to finally land in your driveway or maybe even planning to make a preorder, you might want to take a quick pause. Why? Because while Tesla is officially taking reservations for its newly re-revealed, rocket-thruster-backed Roadster, the fine print holds a reality check that is a bit less glamorous than a hovering sports car.
The fine print behind the hype
According to the official reservation agreement on Tesla’s website, dropping a deposit of up to a quarter million dollars does not actually guarantee you will get a vehicle. The company explicitly states that it cannot guarantee if—or when—the car will ever actually ship.
The sleek vehicle made waves by showcasing SpaceX-inspired cold-gas thrusters and jaw-dropping performance claims, but the legal disclaimers tell a very different story.
“You understand that Roadster is still under development at the time you entered into this Agreement and so we cannot guarantee when your vehicle will actually be delivered or if it will be delivered,” the agreement reads.
Because the Roadster is still heavily under development, Tesla notes that features, hardware and even the final purchase price are entirely subject to change.
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
The silver lining here is that reservations are technically refundable if buyers change their minds or if the company ultimately fails to deliver the car. That said, the admission highlights just how far away a commercial release actually is. And that is if the flying car will ever be released.
Another good thing is that while Tesla says the reservation is non-transferable, the futuristic car maker did not put a no-resale clause like it did with the order agreement for some of its other limited-run cars like the Cybertruck Foundation Series and the Tesla Model S Signature Edition.
Street legal? That’s up to your street
Adding to the mystery, even Musk himself isn’t entirely sure where you’re actually allowed to drive the thing. When asked during the vehicle’s reveal event whether the flying sports car is street legal, Musk gave a wonderfully vague response, noting that it “depends on your street.”
Whether the Roadster turns out to be a revolutionary engineering flex, a clever recruiting tool for tech talent, or just another exercise in classic Musk overpromising, one thing is certain: holding a reservation receipt doesn’t mean keys are landing in your hand anytime soon.
Sources: InsideEVs, Business Insider