Tesla Roadster 3.0 package ups range to over 640 km

tesla roadster

It may have been nearly three years since the Tesla Roadster was discontinued, but it appears the company that built it still has great plans for its first production car. To that end, Tesla has announced a retrofit 3.0 update package that applies the knowledge gained from its newer Model S, helping the Lotus Elise-based electric sports car achieve a predicted 40-50% improvement on range.

Tesla is confident that in certain speeds and conditions, the Roadster 3.0 can travel over 400 miles (640 km). It is so confident, in fact, that it will prove the quoted range is achievable through a non-stop drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the early weeks of the new year.

The most significant addition is a new 70 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, with its 6,831 cells each storing 31% more energy than before. A new aerokit will also provide a 15% decrease in drag, bringing the total drag coefficient down to just 0.31 Cd. Added to that, there are new tyres with 20% lower rolling resistance, while improvements in the wheel bearings and residual brake drag drop the overall rolling resistance still further.

Owners can upgrade their Roadsters in the spring once the new battery pack has finished its safety validation, and Tesla assures that it will continue to improve the Roadster in years to come. It’s an interesting time for Tesla at the moment, certainly on our shores, what with reports of it being interested in bringing cars into Malaysia if tax incentives were reintroduced.

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Jonathan Lee

After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.

 

Comments

  • ThePolygonal on Dec 31, 2014 at 4:38 pm

    Is there a cheap boxy version with that range? I mean if it’s make to look like juara but with the slower electric motor and a range of 600km, it should at least be not that expensive right?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
  • Anti-Establishment on Dec 31, 2014 at 4:38 pm

    Our Proton is better than this junk. Proton tech is more advan

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 14
    • Brother

      Please Don’t Freaking DREAMING

      There are Tesla “Roadster”!!!!

      What Proton Have??? SAGA or EXORA
      PROTON DOES NOT HAVE ROADSTER! SO STOP F(*KING DREAM PROTON WILL BE A GOOD CAR

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
    • No more Value on Dec 31, 2014 at 6:30 pm

      I really hope so. Tesla so far have the most advance technology in making electronic car. I really hope Proton is better than Tesla.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
    • Hailey on Jan 02, 2015 at 10:14 pm

      Your knowledge as shallow as my teh tarik cup plate. TESLA not even seeing BMW, Audi or other Germans as competitors. Founder Elon Musk even open up their firm’s technology invention to the automotive world, without keeping that as their own patented ‘bullet’; imagine the ‘nuclear weapon’ they goin to launch in future. TESLA is in his own category and keep coming up with numbers of creative and innovative stuffs like super charge station, gigafactory which going to shape the way of automotive industry.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • I like cars

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • kzm brother on Dec 31, 2014 at 5:10 pm

    My brother kzm say this car bad for the environment. You dispose bateri more global warming lah

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • No more Value on Dec 31, 2014 at 6:24 pm

      the battery can recharge. This car is not for caring about environment it is about replacement of energy. Petroleum will have been finish using one days. And tesla just find another way that can move the car. And the petroleum car we using now dont have battery??

      Handphone change everyday, nobody say it is not friendly to the environment. Tesla did a good thing say it is bad for environment. What logic? I cant understand. Someone explain for me please.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • panjang on Dec 31, 2014 at 6:59 pm

    Tesla made it look soo easy…

    Unlike other car maker still playing with hybrid which most of the time produces odd looking object on the road and dull to drive even with a combustion engine.

    I can picture myself driving the tesla to work and not forgotting a long extension cable to charge it at office parking lot(our country is not eco car friendly so no charging station at office)

    Every weekend i can go for weekend holiday which is stress free as i dont have to think about why i am paying high for fuel when the price is based on world price.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • No more Value on Jan 01, 2015 at 2:49 pm

      In short time, Hybrid or even the technology in toyota Mirai was still preferable because using pure electricity, we need to rebuild many facilities. Thats is very costly and it needs time.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • No more Value on Jan 01, 2015 at 2:51 pm

      In that time also you need to pay higher price for electricity fees also. So no different. Only it change the energy from petrol to electric

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
 

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