What can we say about the Tesla Roadster, which had its long-awaited reveal last night in Texas? Well, after a nine-year wait since it was first announced the car has changed quite a bit, most noticeably on the design front. The soft curves of the 2017 concept have been replaced with a sharp-edged wedge of a car that has not only Cybertruck vibes, but a strong retro aesthetic. It almost looks like it’s from the 1980s.
Anyway, here are a few other things we learned:
1. It’s stupendously fast, as in 0-60 mph in less than one second, fast. Yep—one second. 0.59 to 0.8 seconds to be exact. Top speed is rated at 230 mph (370 km/h).
2. It has boosters, and it can do jumps. Cold gas boosters – technology developed by SpaceX – that work in conjunction a fan suction system enable the car to launch. At the reveal, the boosters allowed the car to launch over a row of five Teslas.
3. Available option packages include “thrust” which comes with rear-mounted cold gas thrusters that were used in the 0-60 mph demo at the reveal. Another package, “rocket”, is by “invite only” and it will be able to perform various stunts, including flips and leaps. Tesla says the “rocket” variant is not approved for use on public roads.
4. Its battery is massive. The Roadster will use a 200-kWh floor-mounted battery pack that uses 4,680 lithium-ion cylindrical cells. All models are expected to deliver over 300 miles of range (480 km), with up to 620 miles of highway range (1,000 km). It will be capable of peak charging speeds of 350 kW or higher at Tesla Superchargers. “Significant range,” can be achieved in about 15-20 minutes according to Tesla.
5. Models equipped with cold-gas thrusters (thrust and rocket) will also have a secondary charging system. These cars will carry about 260 kilograms of compressed gas propellant. An on-board high-pressure air compressor taps into the EV battery automatically to re-pressurize and refill the car’s thruster tanks while it’s being driven. Yep, rocket-boosting regen on the fly.
6. The Roadster will be pricey. A $50,000 USD ($70,000 CAD) deposit is required for the base trim, $250,000 ($350,000 CAD) for the thrust grade, and rocket is by invite only (availability will vary by region). Final pricing has not been announced.
7. Coming soon(ish). Elon Musk said production will begin in 2028.
There’s more we could say, but it’s probably best to see the Tesla Roadster in action for yourself. Check out the link below for the full reveal:
Photos courtesy of Tesla Inc.
