A lately printed patent software hints that the second-generation Tesla Roadster would possibly really be near manufacturing.

The appliance, which was printed by the US Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) on March 12, reveals a portrait-oriented curved show in the course of dashboard—very like 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 high 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 high pace of 250 mph. A 200-kwh battery pack would offer 620 miles of vary, Tesla mentioned on the time. Only a yr later, CEO Elon Musk mentioned a “SpaceX rocket thruster possibility package deal” would get the 0-60 mph time all the way down to 1.1 seconds.

Tesla Roadster curved touchscreen patent picture

On the 2017 reveal, Tesla mentioned 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 complete $250,000 value upfront for the Founder Collection. The corporate mentioned on the time that deliveries would begin in 2020, however that by no means occurred.

Musk mentioned in February that the production-spec Roadster will likely be prepared for a reveal later this yr, with deliveries focused to begin in 2025. He additionally mentioned the Roadster will likely 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 can really begin delivery Roadsters subsequent yr.