Photo: Tesla Motors
With all the talk about the Ludicrous mode of the Model S and the flappy rear doors of the Model X, Tesla Roadster owners might feel a little neglected.
But they should rest assured, Mr. Elon Musk hasn't forgotten who were the first people to buy his cars and help him get where he is now. A little over a year ago, he talked about an important upgrade for the little Lotus-based electric sports car that would give it a mighty boost in terms of maximum range.
He was obviously talking about a replacement for the battery pack and four months ago, he promised it would arrive this August. A quick look at the calendar will tell you we're now in September, so that's a promise Mr. Tesla Motors did not keep.
On the other hand, he at least made public the amount of money a Tesla Roadster owner will have to pay for the upgrade: $29,000. Also, the option of reserving your battery pack is now on, but that would require a $5,000 advance payment.
By now, you're probably making a list with the brand-new cars you could buy for $29,000. Yeah, Tesla says the high cost is due to the fact the new battery packs have to be made by hand (AMG engines, anyone?) and that means a production rate of only two or three per week. Talk about exclusivity...
In other words, even if you make your deposit, there's no telling when exactly you would be getting that upgrade.
Still, the upgrade should totally be worth it for every Roadster user as it brings an increase of 35 percent in energy capacity and 40 percent in maximum range. That means the already impressive original 245 miles range of the Tesla Roadster will now be taken into the 400 miles range.
However, there are e few drawbacks. First of all, this upgrade will not make the Roadster compatible with Tesla's Supercharger network, which would have meant a great bonus for the sports car owners. Second, the new battery pack is sensibly heavier than the original one, so the driver might feel the extra weight in the way the car handles.
So, what would you do if you owned a Tesla Roadster? Assuming $29,000 isn't by any means a fortune for you, I'd say go for it. Not having access to the Supercharger network makes a range extension even that more important.
He was obviously talking about a replacement for the battery pack and four months ago, he promised it would arrive this August. A quick look at the calendar will tell you we're now in September, so that's a promise Mr. Tesla Motors did not keep.
On the other hand, he at least made public the amount of money a Tesla Roadster owner will have to pay for the upgrade: $29,000. Also, the option of reserving your battery pack is now on, but that would require a $5,000 advance payment.
By now, you're probably making a list with the brand-new cars you could buy for $29,000. Yeah, Tesla says the high cost is due to the fact the new battery packs have to be made by hand (AMG engines, anyone?) and that means a production rate of only two or three per week. Talk about exclusivity...
In other words, even if you make your deposit, there's no telling when exactly you would be getting that upgrade.
Still, the upgrade should totally be worth it for every Roadster user as it brings an increase of 35 percent in energy capacity and 40 percent in maximum range. That means the already impressive original 245 miles range of the Tesla Roadster will now be taken into the 400 miles range.
However, there are e few drawbacks. First of all, this upgrade will not make the Roadster compatible with Tesla's Supercharger network, which would have meant a great bonus for the sports car owners. Second, the new battery pack is sensibly heavier than the original one, so the driver might feel the extra weight in the way the car handles.
So, what would you do if you owned a Tesla Roadster? Assuming $29,000 isn't by any means a fortune for you, I'd say go for it. Not having access to the Supercharger network makes a range extension even that more important.
Google News