When you hear the name Elon Musk, you probably picture electric cars, rockets, and even the recent tweets that caused the buzz. Whether people like him or not, they cannot argue that Musk is a great marketer. Perhaps one of the most anticipated vehicles he has is the Tesla Roadster, especially the second generation one. But come on, anyone with sense realizes that some of the things that he has said about this car are things out of a science fiction movie.
The First Roadster
Just before I proceed to the ideas, let me pause and turn back to the origins of it all. For one, Tesla Motors’ first car model is the Tesla Roadster, which was produced from 2008 to 2012. it was the first all-electric, highway-legal production car to employ lithium-ion battery cells. It could have a range of over 244 miles on a single charge which was quite revolutionary at that time. While rooted in the Lotus Elise, Tesla is quick to note that the two cars are in fact related by about seven percent. Well you know, if it is built like a Lotus and handles like a Tesla, then who cares right?
Elon Musk of Tesla took one of his most outrageous giveaways in 2018 when he launched a first-generation Roadster into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Yes, that really happened; he sent a car to space. Boasting a dummy behind the wheel referred to as “Starman,” this Roadster is now a spacefaring car. If you are interested in seeing where it has got to now, there is even a website for that.
The New Roadster: Ten Years of Inaction
Skip ahead to today and the new Roadster has been in development for what seems like a lifetime. Tesla first briefly mentioned it back in 2017 and claimed it would begin delivering the cars in 2020.
It didn’t.
Thanks to a series of delays, including the global pandemic, that release date got pushed to 2023, then 2024, and now, we’re looking at 2025.
Alien Tech and Flying Cars
But let’s move to the most exciting part – the promises that are more akin to something from a comic book . First on the block, Musk has teased that the new Roadster will probably come equipped with some bits borrowed from SpaceX, Tesla’s space exploration arm. He has named this as the “alien technology” which, in essence, is a way of saying rocket thrusters on a car.
Yes, you are not mistaken; these are rocket thrusters. This so-called “SpaceX package” could supposedly make the Roadster go zooming like a spacecraft on wheels and further increase the vehicle’s acceleration. However, it is essential to bear in mind that there are no official announcements regarding any of this at this time.
Well, that is not crazy enough, Musk has also suggested a concept of a car that could fly, or at least a car with wheels which can turn into propellers. He said the Roadster could float on the road like the car in the movie “Back to the Future. ”
He proposed that the “SpaceX cold gas thruster system” would replace the two rear seats to be a high-pressure air system. Though it may sound unbelievable, let us just remind ourselves that its existence as a feature is still open to debate as to whether it will ever come out from the drawing board at all.
Zero to Sixty in Under a Second?
0-60mph < 1 sec
And that is the least interesting part
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2024
Even before the release of the new Roadster, Elon Musk did not shy away from stating that it would accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than a second. Yes, that is correct, sometimes everything changes in a blink of an eye. However, this claim was a little too large and almost fell short. Recent performance figures hint at it achieving the 60-miles-per-hour acceleration in 1.9 seconds—blazing fast undoubtedly, but not quite the space car quality Musk said.
To put these figures into perspective, the current record holder for the fastest speed to 60 mph, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon accomplishes this in 1.66 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph. Thus, Tesla’s new Roadster would still be among the top cars but perhaps not defying physics principles.
What Might Be the Cost?
Thus, let us discuss the questions that arise in front of all interested in the new Roadster. Well, it is going to be costly I think. The reservation fee only is $50,000, and the regular price of the cars in the limited series of Founders is estimated to be in the range of $200,000 to $250,000.
That may sound like quite a lot, but when one compares it with other cars, which have similar features as the Roadster, it is relatively affordable. For example, the Rimac Nevera, another electric hyper car with shocking speed range has a price of $2 million.
Final Thoughts
Of course, some of the things Elon Musk says might sound like something from a science fiction novel, but at least the Roadster is going to be an amazing car — when it will arrive, that is. All that we are allowed to do for now is wait and watch.
