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Tesla recently showed off its second generation Roadster prototype at the “Autonomy Day” investor event. Hosted at the company’s Palo Alto headquarters, the day was focused on sharing the latest in autonomous driving innovation. While self-driving cars may have been the reason for the event, it’s clear the next gen Tesla Roadster stole the show, generating tremendous buzz across, and beyond the automotive world.
The fiercely anticipated electric supercar, and Tesla’s first ever commercially available product, has not been updated since 2008. A lot has changed since then, both in regards to innovations at the heart of the electric vehicle industry, as well as in a society which has increasingly warmed to alternatives to the gas guzzlers of yesteryear.
Expected to be priced at $200,000, the Roadster won’t be for everyone, but thanks to increasingly long laundry list of hype surrounding the vehicle, it will definitely continue to draw attention long after its debut next year, in 2020.
The all-new Roadster is expected to complete a 0-60 mph acceleration in a nimble 1.9 seconds. It is expected to reach 100 mph in just 4.2 seconds, and complete a quarter-mile speed burst in under 8.8 seconds. Capable of reaching speeds in excess of 250 mph, and with a 200-kilowatt-hour battery capable of keeping it going for up to 620 miles in between charges, this certainly is an electric vehicle unlike any other in the world.
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Introducing the All-New Roadster, Now with Hover Technology
CEO Elon Musk said at the Autonomy Investor Day hosted at the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto, California:
“Back when we created the company we said we’d build Tesla Roadster. They said it was impossible. And that even if we did build it, nobody would buy it. This was like universal opinion, that building an electric car was extremely dumb and would fail. I agree with them that probably the failure was high but that this was important.”
While Musk is known for making outlandish claims, few reach the level of sheer bravado and unbridled adventure of his suggestion that upper level trims of the 2020 Roadster will be able to hover off the ground. You read that right.
Long the purview of “Back to the Future” aficionados, Tesla is aiming to create a consumer automobile with flight capability. If that’s not enough to get you excited about the all-new Roadster, perhaps you will be more intrigued by the suggestion that a special Roadster SpaceX trim is likely to feature cold air thrusters.
For those unfamiliar with the terminology, it seems Musk believes that not only will small rockets attached to a Roadster “dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking and cornering”, but he also said that it would “maybe even allow a Tesla to fly.”
Musk doubled down on this suggestion in response to a GIF of a car hovering above the ground by saying the new Roadster, “might be able to do something similar”.
At the time of publication, it’s still completely uncertain whether these statements are Elon Musk being the master provocateur he is known for and joking about a flying Roadster, but it seems very unlikely.
Musk went on to explain his concept further: “The Roadster will use SpaceX cold gas thruster system with ultra high pressure air in a composite overwrapped pressure vessel in place of the 2 rear seats.”
Outlandish? Yes, of course. Over the top? Possibly. Game changing? Just maybe.
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The Roadster is in a Class of its Own
Say what you will about Tesla, the company has been disruptive and rule breaking ever since they debuted with their now iconic first generation Roadster.
The 2020 edition of the Roadster is said to be the fastest production car ever brought to market, no small feat when considering it is an electric vehicle. Tesla is currently accepting reservations for the $200,000 base level trim with a $50,000 deposit required. For a $250,000 deposit, extremely motivated potential Roadster owners can be placed on a list to receive an upper trim “Founders Series” edition of the car once it launches.
In September of 2018, the Tesla Roadster made its official international debut at the Grand Basel Car Show in Switzerland. Since then, it was also recently seen at the Art Center College of Design as part of a presentation meant to inspire the next generation of leading automotive designers.
While it will likely still be some time before anyone is available to fully validate all of Tesla’s ambitious claims about its upcoming Roadster, it’s clear the car is already building anticipation around the world.
When Musk first showed the world his next gen Roadster concept back in 2017, it was impressive and game changing. At that time, the car was said to be able to travel a distance of 620 miles or 1000 kilometers between charges. Today, Tesla claims that it will have a “range above 1000 kilometers”.
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The Power to Change the World
Improvements in battery technology and charging capacity have been central to Tesla’s innovations over the last several of years. The company is counting on the new 2020 Roadster to be the crown jewel in the company’s electric vision of the future which has been central in forcing automotive manufacturers around the world to reconsider if gasoline is the best fuel choice.
Tesla’s recent updates for the Model S and Model X have each featured numerous enhancements which have improved their range and performance as electric vehicles. The 100 kilowatt-hour versions of the Model S can now manage up to 370 miles of range per charge. The heavier Model X SUV can get up to 325 miles of range per charge.
These are truly impressive figures which highlight how bold an achievement it will be if the Roadster is truly able to perform as well as Tesla is suggesting it will. The 2020 Roadster is anticipated to come full loaded with a 200 kilowatt-hour battery pack which the company has suggested will offer a “hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars” and perhaps the final blow necessary to force a complete reimagination of the car as we know it.
Range is expected to be one of the key differences which separates the Roadster from competitors. Most supercars are known for being anything but fuel efficient. This is why the Roadster promises to be so game changing.
The Lamborghini Aventador manages up to 11 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway, which delivers 428.4 miles of range on the highway and 261.8 miles in the city on a full tank. Higher-end cars like the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport consume even more gas, while only able to travel 51 miles with a full tank, traveling at top speed.
Tesla’s electric motors are expected to be able to last for up to and in excess of a million miles. The company is also counting on its batteries being able to last as long. It increasingly appears that not only will the 2020 Tesla Roadster be able to outrun all existing supercars, it just might outlast them as well.