In 2007, little known American startup Tesla Motors launched their first car, the two-door Roadster. Essentially a Lotus Elise with a battery pack instead of an engine, the Roadster was never meant to be Tesla's most successful model; instead, it was a testament to the potential that electric cars had. With a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds and a range of 240 miles, the Roadster served as beta testing for Tesla's battery technology that would be used in later models.
Now, nearly 10 years later, Tesla has become a household name. Its most successful model, the Model S hatchback, accelerates from 0-60 in a ludicrous 2.8 seconds (quicker than a Ferrari 488 GTB) while churning out 295 miles of range (which, until the new Roadster battery pack, was the most range of an electric car). The most recent model, the Model X crossover, accelerates from 0-60 in an equally impressive 3.2 seconds (quicker than any other SUV) and can travel for up to 250 miles in one charge. The Model 3 concept car promises at least 215 miles of range and a 0-60 time of under 6 seconds for $35,000 before tax incentives. All three vehicles have available Autopilot, a feature that allows the car to drive itself in certain conditions, and Supercharger capability, which charges the Tesla to its maximum battery capacity in around 30 minutes. Both of these features were not available in the Roadster, which ceased production in 2012 when Tesla first released the Model S.
Although Model S, Model X, and Model 3 far overshadow the Roadster, Tesla has maintained a dedication to their early customers that now comes in the form of the R80 battery upgrade. The 80 kWh battery pack upgrades the Roadster's range to 340 miles (45 miles more than the Model S). The R80 is expected to be the last iteration of the previous generation Roadster before Tesla unveils the "different, faster, and bigger" second generation in 2019.
Although the new battery pack upgrades cost $29,000 and are in extremely limited production, this subtle move from Tesla is extremely valuable for the company's status as the best electric car producer in the world. In this past year, many companies unveiled their own electric cars to rival Tesla. Most importantly, Porsche released the Mission E concept, which has a claimed 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds and range of over 300 miles. Although this car is scheduled to enter production in 2020, a year after the new Roadster, Porsche claims that the Mission E would outclass any Tesla in range, performance, and comfort.
Well, Tesla isn't about to take a back seat. The fact that they chose to update the battery pack of their most primitive model with the limitations of the Lotus design serves as a warning to other companies. The little appreciated electric car from 2007 now has 340 miles of range. Tesla predicts that the Model S could reach the 600 mile range mark in a year or two. If Porsche is unable to drastically improve on the numbers they promised last year, Tesla will have them badly outclassed.
Is the Roadster upgrade relevant to you? Well, unless you're one of the 2,000 loyal customers who've persevered with your Roadster and are willing to shell out $29,000 for an upgrade, probably not. But this new battery pack is another testament to Tesla's dedication to keep improving, and unless other companies step up their game, Tesla will dominate the market for many years to come.
Now, nearly 10 years later, Tesla has become a household name. Its most successful model, the Model S hatchback, accelerates from 0-60 in a ludicrous 2.8 seconds (quicker than a Ferrari 488 GTB) while churning out 295 miles of range (which, until the new Roadster battery pack, was the most range of an electric car). The most recent model, the Model X crossover, accelerates from 0-60 in an equally impressive 3.2 seconds (quicker than any other SUV) and can travel for up to 250 miles in one charge. The Model 3 concept car promises at least 215 miles of range and a 0-60 time of under 6 seconds for $35,000 before tax incentives. All three vehicles have available Autopilot, a feature that allows the car to drive itself in certain conditions, and Supercharger capability, which charges the Tesla to its maximum battery capacity in around 30 minutes. Both of these features were not available in the Roadster, which ceased production in 2012 when Tesla first released the Model S.
Although Model S, Model X, and Model 3 far overshadow the Roadster, Tesla has maintained a dedication to their early customers that now comes in the form of the R80 battery upgrade. The 80 kWh battery pack upgrades the Roadster's range to 340 miles (45 miles more than the Model S). The R80 is expected to be the last iteration of the previous generation Roadster before Tesla unveils the "different, faster, and bigger" second generation in 2019.
Although the new battery pack upgrades cost $29,000 and are in extremely limited production, this subtle move from Tesla is extremely valuable for the company's status as the best electric car producer in the world. In this past year, many companies unveiled their own electric cars to rival Tesla. Most importantly, Porsche released the Mission E concept, which has a claimed 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds and range of over 300 miles. Although this car is scheduled to enter production in 2020, a year after the new Roadster, Porsche claims that the Mission E would outclass any Tesla in range, performance, and comfort.
Well, Tesla isn't about to take a back seat. The fact that they chose to update the battery pack of their most primitive model with the limitations of the Lotus design serves as a warning to other companies. The little appreciated electric car from 2007 now has 340 miles of range. Tesla predicts that the Model S could reach the 600 mile range mark in a year or two. If Porsche is unable to drastically improve on the numbers they promised last year, Tesla will have them badly outclassed.
Is the Roadster upgrade relevant to you? Well, unless you're one of the 2,000 loyal customers who've persevered with your Roadster and are willing to shell out $29,000 for an upgrade, probably not. But this new battery pack is another testament to Tesla's dedication to keep improving, and unless other companies step up their game, Tesla will dominate the market for many years to come.