Photo: Tesla Motors
The only people who aren't exactly excited about the prospect of an even quicker Tesla hitting the streets are those owning and drag racing all sorts of heavily modified vehicles. The rest of us bystanders can't wait to see if the thrusters-equipped electric supercar lives up to the hype in production form.
And there's been plenty of hype. The initial specs released by Elon Musk during the reveal event were quite staggering: 200 kWh battery pack, 620 miles of range (1,000 km), 250 mph top speed (400 km/h), 0-60 mph acceleration (0-97 km/h) in 1.9 seconds, four usable seats, all-wheel-drive, and, to top it all, a base price of $200,000. Considering you have Model Xs that come somewhat near that, the new Roadster sounded like a bargain if you think of the double-size battery alone.
Unless you've been living under a rock with no phone reception or inside a Faraday cage, you probably already know about the thruster thing as well. A SpaceX package is supposed to be available for the Roadster, pushing its acceleration even further (to an estimated 1.1 seconds for the 0-60 mph sprint) with help from cold-gas thrusters.
Alright, now that we've quickly recapped all the important bits about the Roadster, let's get to the latest development. During Tesla's Q2 2020 Earnings Call, Elon Musk indirectly confirmed the new sports car is on schedule for a commercial debut by the end of 2021. In fact, he said all three new models that are in development right now - the Semi, the Cybertruck, and the Roadster - should be ready by then.
“Just think about the next 12 to 18 months, we’ll have 3 new factories in place," he said, via AlphaStreet. "Things are looking great with Giga Berlin, and we’ll have Cybertruck, Semi, Roadster, Full Self-Driving. There’s so much to be excited about. It’s really hard to kind of fit into this call.”
Things are indeed looking good for Tesla. Once "Giga Berlin" is done, the company can consolidate its presence in Europe while continuing its triumphant march in the States. And with the competition finally showing signs of waking up, now's the time to push if Tesla wants to maintain its advantage. The Roadster might not be the car to bring the EV maker huge sales (those would be the 3, Y, and Cybertruck), but it'll do something equally important: it'll show everyone who's still in charge and it can't come soon enough.
Unless you've been living under a rock with no phone reception or inside a Faraday cage, you probably already know about the thruster thing as well. A SpaceX package is supposed to be available for the Roadster, pushing its acceleration even further (to an estimated 1.1 seconds for the 0-60 mph sprint) with help from cold-gas thrusters.
Alright, now that we've quickly recapped all the important bits about the Roadster, let's get to the latest development. During Tesla's Q2 2020 Earnings Call, Elon Musk indirectly confirmed the new sports car is on schedule for a commercial debut by the end of 2021. In fact, he said all three new models that are in development right now - the Semi, the Cybertruck, and the Roadster - should be ready by then.
“Just think about the next 12 to 18 months, we’ll have 3 new factories in place," he said, via AlphaStreet. "Things are looking great with Giga Berlin, and we’ll have Cybertruck, Semi, Roadster, Full Self-Driving. There’s so much to be excited about. It’s really hard to kind of fit into this call.”
Things are indeed looking good for Tesla. Once "Giga Berlin" is done, the company can consolidate its presence in Europe while continuing its triumphant march in the States. And with the competition finally showing signs of waking up, now's the time to push if Tesla wants to maintain its advantage. The Roadster might not be the car to bring the EV maker huge sales (those would be the 3, Y, and Cybertruck), but it'll do something equally important: it'll show everyone who's still in charge and it can't come soon enough.
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