Elon Musk-owned Tesla unveiled a four-seater drop-top electric vehicle in November 2017, the Roadster – which was due to arrive in production guise sometime in 2020. Back then, the American manufacturer claimed that the second-generation Roadster could reach 97km/h from a standstill in 1.9 seconds. However, fast forward to the present day, California-based Tesla has stirred the pot by making new claims about the EV. On February 28, the Tesla CEO took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted that the production design of the Roadster will be completed and unveiled by the end of 2024, followed by customer deliveries in 2025. He also wrote, "There will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car", while also noting that the EV "has a shot at being the most mind-blowing product demo of all time."
But, the biggest talking point here is its acceleration time. According to Elon Musk, the production-spec Roadster will dismiss the 0 to 97km/h (0-60mph) sprint in less than a second – yes, you read that right! The Rimac Nevera – which has the title of the world's fastest-production EV – can do the same in 1.81 seconds. The limited-run Nevera is also the world's fastest-accelerating car over a quarter mile (8.582 seconds). If Musk's bold claims turn out to be true, the Tesla Roadster will wrest the world's fastest-production EV title from the Nevera.
0-60mph < 1 sec
And that is the least interesting part
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2024
Tesla Roadster Likely to Get SpaceX Package
Back in 2018, Elon Musk had tweeted that the new Tesla Roadster would be available with an optional SpaceX package, which "will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around the car. These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering. Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly…" Musk reposted the same, hinting the car could be offered with a SpaceX option.
SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car. These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering. Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018
Tesla Roadster: Original Technical Specs
Coming to the technical specifications, the Roadster, unveiled along with the Tesla Semi, had a 200kWh battery pack, enabling it to have a 998km range (claimed). Tesla also stated that the EV could do 0-160km/h in 4.2 seconds and finish a quarter-mile (0.4km) sprint in 8.8 seconds. Unlike the four-motor-driven Rimac Nevera, the Tesla Roadster comes with three motors that transmit power to all four wheels.
Tesla Roadster: Bookings Open
Tesla has already opened bookings for the Tesla Roadster for $ 50,000 (roughly Rs 42 lakh). While the price details are expected to be revealed as the launch nears, the new EV could fall in the range of $ 2,00,000 to $ 2,50,000.
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