The
performance of the new Roadster will blow your mind and, of course,
it's the primary focus since the Roadster is in the supercar/hypercar
category. Let's jump right into the numbers.
Powertrain, Battery & Interior
The new Roadster will use
three electric motors – one in the front and two in the back – giving it
through-the-road all-wheel drive.
The incredible power comes
courtesy of a 200-kilowatt-hour battery. True to its name, you'll be
able to remove the roof. And for added practicality, it'll seat four
people, provided the reat seat occupants are of the smaller size.
Range
Initially, Tesla claimed an insane
range of some 620 miles for the new Roadster. This seemed almost
out-of-this-world. However, Elon Musk later commented that indeed the
target range for the Roadster is above 1,000 kilometers, so the 620-mile
figure is still the goal. With a range of over 620 miles, the next-gen
Roadster will be leaps and bounds ahead of any other electric car out
there. Now we just wait for the arrival of this ultimate range king.
Price
Want
one? You'll need $50,000 to reserve one, and the base price will be
$200,000. Or you can be one of 1,000 people to order a Founders Series
car, which costs a full $250,000, right up front. It's not cheap, but
given its mighty performance numbers, there's likely no car that can
beat it for less money.
Production Volume
On
the production front, Tesla will reportedly keep the numbers on the low
side. In a Ride The Lightning podcast that revealed pricing for the
Tesla pickup truck, Elon Musk spoke at length about the upcoming Tesla
Roadster. First off, Musk says production will likely be capped at
10,000 per year. According to Musk, no car out there today will be able
to match the Roadster. He says this applies to all performance aspects,
including on-track driving. According to Musk, Roadster development
occurs offsite in a nondescript building for secrecy. This "Tesla
Skunkworks" actually has a basement full of different powertrains to
try/test out on the Roadster.
Closing
The
all-new Roadster will rock the electric car world, there's no doubt
about that. However, we're not so sure it's the right car for Tesla to
launch right now. Us, as well as the majority of Tesla supporters, would
rather see the claimed $50,000 Tesla Truck come first and perhaps it
will.
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