EV hype cycles have gotten way, way too long.

We’ve been hearing details about the Ford Fathom for just about a year now, and production remains about a year out. The Rivian R3 is a worse offender; It was fully revealed in 2024, and there’s still no announced production date. Yet both of these hype cycles pale in comparison to the second-generation Tesla Roadster, which was announced nearly nine years ago and still hasn’t shipped.

These ultra-long public development processes are frustrating for consumers, who often have to deal with much-hyped models being delayed, canceled, or priced far higher than originally announced. So why do automakers do it? I break it down in my latest below.

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