Tesla Roadster Upgrade Coming Next Week

Earlier this year Elon Musk mentioned that an upgrade for Tesla Roadster owners was in the works, and the popular theory is it will be 400+ mile battery pack. In a recent tweet Musk revealed that the Tesla Roadster upgrade would be revealed next week, having been delayed by several “crisis issues” that required immediate attention.

What are those issues? Musk can’t say, though one could infer that these “crisis issues” have to do with the again-delayed Tesla Model X. Musk also just revealed that the first battery swapping pilot project would be open for business next week as well, making good on two big promises he made earlier in the year. Better late than never, and he certainly addressed a couple of issues I was starting to take with the man.

As far as the upgrade for the Tesla Roadster, a new battery pack makes the most sense. Some Roadster owners have complained of diminishing range levels, and while the 245+ miles of EPA-rated range is second only to the Model S, the 53 kWh battery pack leaves room for improvement. Potentially shoehorning the 85 kWh battery pack would almost certainly deliver 400 miles of real-world range.

Another possibility is the addition of the Supercharging capability to the Roadster, adding the ability to travel across the U.S. on free energy (courtesy of Tesla). A third possibility is additional battery armor, same as what the Model S received, though there haven’t been any reports of battery fires relating to the Roadster as far as I know.

For Tesla Roadster owners, this belated Christmas gift is welcome news indeed, whatever it is. With all the hubbub around the Model S these days, it’s easy to forget the car that came before it. Unless you’re Elon Musk that is.

Source: Gas2