EVwire brief: Hagerty, Top Gear and MotorTrend have each published deep-dive videos on Tesla's new Roadster, filling in details the company didn't share at the unveiling.
Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy and Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen walked the outlets through the car. Among the new details are up to 1,500 horsepower from two rear motors, a top speed target of over 330 miles per hour (531 kilometers per hour), and a bespoke 4680 battery that charges from 15% to 80% in 10 minutes.
Hagerty's Henry Catchpole sat down with Moravy for a 27-minute breakdown of how the Roadster works, including its battery tech and the parts it borrows from Optimus and SpaceX:
Top Gear's Tom Ford spent a couple of hours with the Roadster the day before its unveiling, alongside von Holzhausen and Moravy. Top Gear noted that a few figures were updated after filming wrapped:
MotorTrend got a full walkaround with von Holzhausen at SpaceX, covering the Roadster's four configurations, active aero, cockpit and the 10,000 psi carbon fiber tank that feeds its thrusters:
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Details:
New Tesla Roadster info from the videos above
Tesla Roadster powertrain and performance
Motors: Two motors, both on the rear axle, making over 1 megawatt (up to 1,500 hp) and 1,400+ Nm (1,033+ lb-ft) of torque, more than all three Plaid motors combined. The Roadster is rear-wheel drive only.
No differential: Each rear wheel is controlled independently through 8.4:1 planetary gears, with its own inverter.
0-60 mph: 0.55 seconds (targeted)
Top speed: 330+ mph (531+ km/h) target
Image: Hagerty/YouTube
Tesla Roadster battery and charging
Cells: Bespoke 4680 cells made just for the Roadster, with a special high-power chemistry, aluminum cans instead of steel, and double-sided cooling
Pack: Titanium upper battery plate and aluminum lower plate on an 800V architecture, the same as the Cybertruck and Semi. Battery size was not disclosed.
Charging: 15-80% in 10 minutes, Tesla's fastest-charging battery ever
Range: 300+ miles (483+ km), with 310-320 miles (499-515 km) cited
Track time: Target of 25-30 minutes of unlimited track driving per charge
Image: Top Gear/YouTube
Tesla Roadster Thrusters
COPV: 10,000 psi composite overwrapped pressure vessel, using an actuator from Tesla's Optimus robot
Refill: Tesla is aiming for a refill time under 30 minutes. A full tank lasts about 5 seconds of single use before it needs refilling.
Image: Top Gear/YouTube
Tesla Roadster chassis and aero
Weight: Just under 1,700 kg (about 3,700 lb), not final
Width: 2 meters (78.7 in)
Suspension: Double wishbone front, multi-link rear and adaptive dampers. Track Mode lowers the car 40 mm (1.6 in) and makes it 3x stiffer.
Active body: Almost every panel moves in some way. The front wings move up to 80°, with pop-out side "scales" (barge boards) and an active hood vent.
Image: Top Gear/YouTube
Suction system: Four rear fans (~20 kW each) and four drop-down side skirts deliver 2+ g of cornering from 0-50 mph (0-80 km/h). The skirts are replaceable rubber and nylon-bristle wear parts.
Headlights: Pop-down units only ~15 mm (0.6 in) tall, Tesla's thinnest headlights ever
Glass and roof: Orange-tinted titanium-oxide rear glass, as used on aircraft, plus removable roof panels
Image: MotorTrend/YouTube
Tesla Roadster cabin
Seats and pedals: The seats are fixed, while the pedals move for driver comfort
Controls: Brake-by-wire and steer-by-wire
Features: Heated seats, wireless phone charger and a next-gen heat pump
Image: Hagerty/YouTube
Tesla Roadster production
Rocket: Limited production
Prototypes: 4-5 built so far, with a bigger build planned early next year
Positioning: Tesla calls the Roadster "the last great driver's car"
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Context:
The deep dives land a day after Tesla unveiled the new Roadster, ending a wait of nearly nine years since the car first appeared as the "one more thing" at the Semi unveiling in late 2017. Tesla's own launch materials focused on the Roadster's Performance, Thrust and Rocket configurations, with the Rocket listed at under 0.59 seconds to 60 mph and reservations now open on Tesla's website.
The videos also build on details EVwire has been tracking. We previously broke down the Roadster's 1 MW drive unit and battery pack, and Tesla executives confirmed in May that the Roadster will be built in Texas. This means that pricing is now the biggest open question, as Tesla has yet to announce how much the Roadster will cost.
Source: Hagerty, Top Gear, MotorTrend on YouTube
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