A just lately revealed patent utility hints that the second-generation Tesla Roadster may truly be near manufacturing.

The applying, which was revealed by america Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) on March 12, reveals a portrait-oriented curved show in the midst of dashboard—very similar to what Tesla confirmed at the Roadster’s 2017 unveiling.

2020 Tesla Roadster

Within the intervening years, a number of automakers have launched horizontal curved shows that sit on prime of the dashboard. However Tesla’s vertical show nonetheless stands out, as do the automaker’s efficiency claims for the Roadster.

When it initially unveiled the electrical sports activities automobile, Tesla quoted a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a 0-100 mph time of 4.2 seconds, and a prime pace of 250 mph. A 200-kwh battery pack would supply 620 miles of vary, Tesla stated on the time. Only a 12 months later, CEO Elon Musk stated a “SpaceX rocket thruster choice bundle” would get the 0-60 mph time right down to 1.1 seconds.

Tesla Roadster curved touchscreen patent picture

On the 2017 reveal, Tesla stated pricing would begin at $200,000 for the usual Roadster and $250,000 for a limited-edition Founder Collection mannequin. Tesla started accepting reservations after the reveal, requiring a $50,000 deposit for the usual Roadster and the total $250,000 value upfront for the Founder Collection. The corporate stated on the time that deliveries would begin in 2020, however that by no means occurred.

Musk stated in February that the production-spec Roadster can be prepared for a reveal later this 12 months, with deliveries focused to start out in 2025. He additionally stated the Roadster can be even faster than beforehand mentioned, with a sub-1.0-second 0-60 mph time. It stays to be seen whether or not Tesla will have the ability to obtain that or, given the corporate’s historical past of lacking deadlines, whether or not it should truly begin delivery Roadsters subsequent 12 months.