Tesla Roadster Fighter Jet Cockpit UI Revealed

Tesla's Roadster video reveals a fighter jet-inspired cockpit with a 5,500 PSI thruster gauge. The 34-second clip, posted on Friday, showcases a radical user interface designed around the driver, drawing direct inspiration from fighter jet cockpits.

The interface uses a dark design with red and white graphics. A row of tabs along the bottom provides access to Home, Vehicle, Listen, Climate, and Navigate functions. Unlike other Tesla models, the Roadster's home screen centers a 3D visualization of the car itself. The charging screen displays a wireframe model of the vehicle with its battery highlighted and a charge limit bar.

Most of the video focuses on the dedicated Track Mode. This screen displays a live circuit map, session lap times, and extensive vehicle telemetry. Readouts include brake and motor temperatures, tire pressure and temperature, aero balance, and brake balance. It also allows drivers to directly disable stability and traction control. The status bar prominently shows a thruster pressure gauge reading 5,500 PSI next to a 'Boost Ready' indicator. The steer-by-wire yoke integrates physical buttons for the Drag Reduction System, turn signals, and Boost.

Custom driving modes and aerodynamics

The Roadster offers four driving modes: Comfort, Balance, Sport, and Custom. The Custom mode enables detailed individual adjustments. Drivers can fine-tune acceleration response, suspension stiffness, and ride height. A separate setup page allows for aerodynamic configuration, with options for Auto, Low Drag, High Downforce, or Custom aero modes. In Custom, adjustments can be made to the front and rear wings, hood vent, and barge boards.

Tesla has also included a playful hidden feature. When the car is put into reverse, the camera view shows an animated hedgehog walking up a driveway and waving.

Optimus production ramp and AI development

Alongside the Roadster reveal, Tesla provided a major update on its Optimus humanoid robot. The company has begun building production-quality Optimus units on a new line at its Fremont factory. This line, cleared in just 46 days, is sized for an eventual capacity of one million robots per year. Output is set to climb toward roughly 20,000 robots per week as production ramps. Elon Musk described the growth pattern, saying, "The growth of Optimus is an S curve, but the initial curve is a shallow slope."

Work to refine the robot's AI, electromechanical design, reliability, and service life is expected to be finished by the end of next year. Tesla plans to start delivering Optimus to outside companies for dangerous, repetitive jobs by that same deadline. Every robot produced becomes a source of training data. An initiative called Optimus Academy will have between 10,000 and 20,000 robots practicing tasks to feed learning into the next AI model. Tesla also plans to install its next-generation AI5 chip into Optimus next year. A far larger robot factory is under construction at Giga Texas with a long-term target of 10 million units annually.

Roadster production timeline and exclusivity

Elon Musk confirmed that Roadster production will begin in 2028. Final pricing, delivery timing, and specifications remain outstanding. Reservations are open with a $50,000 payment. The car will be displayed in the lobby of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles from October 24 to 27.

The lineup includes a base Performance model and a limited-release Rocket version. The Rocket version is invite-only and is not approved for public road use. Both the Thrust and Rocket variants use cold gas thrusters fed by carbon overwrapped pressure vessels.

Tesla's second-generation Roadster production is scheduled for 2028, with the Petersen Museum display concluding on October 27.