Here's how Tesla's new Roadster is a completely different car from the 2017 version
Tesla re-revealed the Roadster on Thursday — nine years after Elon Musk first said he'd revive the sports car. Here's what changed in that time.
Tesla
- Tesla has unveiled the next-gen Roadster twice: in 2017 and again on Thursday.
- We list the differences between the two versions.
- Range: down. Price: unknown. Flying: way up!
Tesla just unveiled the revived Roadster.
Sound familiar? It certainly should.
On Thursday, CEO Elon Musk took the covers off the latest version of Tesla's halo sports car and said the EV maker is eyeing production in 2028.
It's the second time the company has unveiled a prototype vehicle that it says will carry on the Roadster nameplate. In 2017, Musk unveiled a smoother-looking and very different type of Roadster.
Tesla
The 2017 version simply drove onto a stage next to Elon, then spun its tires and raced away. The 2028 version — on a track placed a safe distance away from spectators — drove up a vertical wall, hung upside down, hovered in the air, and did a "kick flip" over a line of other Teslas.
Turns out, a lot can change in nine extra years of product development.
A lot of the nuts and bolts powering the Roadster changed — and so did the car's metrics. So, we put together a chart comparing Tesla's old Roadster promises with the new ones.
Here's what we found:
Metric or feature2017 Roadster2028 RoadsterRange620 miles310 to 320 miles0-to-60 speed1.9 seconds0.8 secondsTop speedAbove 250 MPH214 MPH "for now"DrivetrainThree motors, all-wheel driveTwo motors, rear-wheel drive onlyBattery size200 kWhNot specifiedChargingNot specified15% to 85% in 10 minutes, nearly 500 kWSeatingTwo front seats, two rear seatsTwo front seats; Rocket trim only has oneVariantsFounder Series, SpaceX trim optionPerformance, Thrust, and RocketFlying/HoppingNot demonstratedDemonstrated autonomouslyPrice$250,000 for the Founder SeriesNot specifiedRead the original article on Business Insider