Today's news about the Tesla Roadster 3.0 upgrades is great, but don't break out the checkbooks just yet
Today's news about the Tesla Roadster 3.0 upgrades is great, but don't break out the checkbooks just yet
Updated battery packs, tires and aero kits for the Tesla Roadster are projected to boost the sports car's range to as much as 400 miles. However, there are several important things to remember about this.
According to Tesla's own blog post; "There is a set of speeds and driving conditions where we can confidently drive the Roadster 3.0 over 400 miles." Key factors affecting the range or all plug-in vehicles are temperature, terrain and technique. Drive in moderate climate without heating or air conditioning with a light foot on the pedal and on flat terrain and you'll get great range. Drive it like a sports car or in less than ideal conditions and the range drops precipitously.
http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/28/abg-first-drive-hitting-the-road-in-the-tesla-roadster/
Tesla also hasn't said when the upgrades would be available or how much they would cost. At this time, the package is still in the prototype phase and it might be quite a while before you can bring a Roadster into a Tesla store for a refit. ?
The Roadster 3.0 package applies what we’ve learned in Model S to Roadster. No new Model S battery pack or major range upgrade is expected in the near term. Battery technology has continued a steady improvement in recent years, as has our experience in optimizing total vehicle efficiency through Model S development.