Tesla Roadster Sport: Spotted
The Roadster has already earned its place in history. But that doesn't mean the dust has settled on it just yet...
This is no ordinary Tesla Roadster though, it's a Roadster Sport. For £15,000 more than the standard car you got lightweight alloy wheels wrapped in performance-orientated Yokohama tyres, adjustable anti-roll bars, and 10-way adjustable Ohlins dampers, all contributing to a ride much more suited to British B-roads. The Sport could also draw an extra 200 amps from its lithium-ion battery than the regular Roadster - resulting in an extra 40hp and 20lb ft of torque, and a 0-60 time of just 3.7 seconds. Inside, meanwhile, you'd find more leather and extra carbon fibre trim.
As simple as it sounds, though, it isn't cheap. In exchange for a 35% (100 miles or so) increase in range, Tesla requires $30,000 (around £21,000) worth of your hard earned cash. And that's without any profit, the manufacturer claiming that it offers the upgrade to owners at cost, with the high price a result of the bespoke nature of the batteries required versus the units mass produced for the Model S.
SPECIFICATION - TESLA ROADSTER SPORT
Engine: AC induction motor
Transmission: single-speed, fixed gear
Power (hp): 288
Torque (lb ft): 295
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2012
Recorded mileage: 3,000
Price new: £101,950
Yours for: £79,950
See the full ad here.
The article makes out that battery upgrades are simple, they're not.
Unless the old car happens to support the temperature control system of the new battery, which seems unlikely.
Then all the control modules have to talk to each other, and the mounting points have to be the same and so on and on.
Tesla are good in that respect that they do make some effort to roll out upgrades to old cars, but then they don't make any profit.
I'm not sure battery electric is the future, without a fundamental break through in battery tech, fuel cell may become the next industry darling as quickly as PHEV and BEV have become favored over diesel, or we may carry on with a mix of all of the above for a few decades yet, and what if alternative fuels suddenly got a boost?
I think I'm still of the ilk that if I have to embrace electric power, it would be a cheap hybrid or electric car, and have something with a bit of soul (and an engine) in the garage..
Its like putting in a bigger fuel tank, and extra fuel pump, and turbo.
I think I'm still of the ilk that if I have to embrace electric power, it would be a cheap hybrid or electric car, and have something with a bit of soul (and an engine) in the garage..
Now, however, we're on the cusp of some very exciting and affordable BEVs.
We salute you, Tesla Roadster Sport, but you're about to become a bit of a white elephant.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff