Tesla has announced that it has given its original Roadster electric sports car a major upgrade, one that gives the convertible a major range boost beyond what many gas-powered cars can muster.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to announce the upgraded Roadster, which he followed up with more detailed information in a blog post.
Roadster upgrade will enable non-stop travel from LA to SF -- almost 400 mile range. Details tmrw. Merry Christmas!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 25, 2014
The Tesla chief says while the lithium-ion battery that powered the original Roadster was state-of-the-art technology in 2008, plenty of improvements have cropped up since then. The new Roadster 3.0 has been equipped with these improvements resulting in the first electric vehicle that can drive 400 miles on a single charge before needing to stock up on juice again.
This new range is significantly better than the 325 miles most cars on average can run before needing to refuel their tanks.
"Combining all of these improvements, we can achieve a predicted 40 to 50 percent improvement on range between the original Roadster and Roadster 3.0," Musk said. "There is a set of speeds and driving conditions where we can confidently drive the Roadster over 400 miles."
These improvements Musk refers to were done on the batteries, to which Tesla outfitted a new cell that can produce up to 70kWH, or 31 percent more energy than the cell on the original Roadster, while still being able to come in the same size pack as the original battery, which powered the electric convertible to drive up to 245 miles before needing a recharge.
Musk also says that Tesla improved the Roadster's aerodynamics by using a new retrofit aero kit to slightly streamline the car's profile and reduce its drag coefficient by 15 percent. Additionally, a new set of tires with improved rolling resistance and enhancements in the wheel bearings and residual brake drag further improve the new Roadster's performance.
The massively upgraded Roadster is still a prototype for now, but car enthusiasts and Tesla's loyal fans will be able to see the Roadster 3.0 in action by early 2015 as Tesla showcases exactly how the car can go the roughly 381-mile stretch from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Musk has not yet announced when the Roadster 3.0 will become available in the market and for how much. The original Roadster costs a little more than $100,000, so buyers can expect to pay somewhere around that range or a bit higher.
Meanwhile, the $69,000 Tesla Model S sedan, which is more accessible to the masses, will not receive the improvements anytime soon, but will definitely be upgraded in the long term.
