Tesla has filed two new trademark applications for logos related to its upcoming Roadster electric sports car. The filings include a minimalist vehicle silhouette and a stylized version of the word 'Roadster,' ahead of a planned demo on April 1. The move signals preparations for a potential public launch of the long-delayed vehicle.
Tesla Inc. submitted two trademark applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday, focusing on visual elements for its next-generation Roadster, the electric sports car first unveiled in 2017 but repeatedly delayed.
One application features a sleek logo composed of three minimalist lines that evoke the shape of a vehicle, described as the first official glimpse of the Roadster's silhouette. The second protects a stylized rendering of 'ROADSTER' in all-capital letters, with a stretched, segmented font. Both filings indicate the logos have not yet been used in commerce but are submitted on an 'intent to use' basis, a common strategy to secure priority ahead of a product launch.
Trademark attorney Josh Gerben explained in a blog post: "By filing early, Tesla locks in a nationwide priority date, preventing third parties from attempting to register the same or confusingly similar marks after the logos are publicly announced."
The filings come as Tesla ramps up development on the Roadster. Insiders viewed designs last year showing a two-seater with butterfly doors, though production was estimated to be two to three years away at that time. CEO Elon Musk has been vocal about the project, stating during the company's third-quarter earnings call that a demo is targeted for April 1. He joked about the date's April Fools' implications: "I could say I was just kidding."
Musk previously aimed for an unveiling by the end of 2025 and has hyped the vehicle's capabilities, claiming it will be able to fly and warning: "If safety is your number one goal, don't buy the Roadster." He described it as the "best of the last of the human-driven cars."
Tesla did not respond to requests for comment on the trademarks. The company intensified work on the Roadster last summer, amid ongoing delays for the project originally promised for 2020.
