Car nerds, you just got an extra present under the tree.
Elon Musk has confirmed an upgrade for the Tesla Roadster, the electric car company’s convertible model, and says that the new features significantly boost its range — beyond what many traditional cars can get on a tank of gasoline.
There are three retrofits coming to the Roadster, according to Tesla. First is a battery upgrade that marks a 31-percent increase in capacity, letting the vehicle roll further on a single charge. Next is an “aero kit” that’ll alter the car’s profile slightly, producing a 15-percent reduction in drag due to wind resistance. Finally, the company said in a blog post Friday, the Roadster will be getting new, more efficient tires.
The result is an electric vehicle that can reliably travel about 350 miles before needing a recharge. That’s pretty similar – or even better – compared to many conventional gasoline-powered cars. The University of Michigan estimates that the average fuel economy of a new car in 2014 was about 25 miles per gallon. With a 12- or 13-gallon tank, that gets you about 325 miles on a single fill-up.
“There is a set of speeds and driving conditions,” said Tesla, “where we can confidently drive the Roadster 3.0 over 400 miles.”
The old Roadster can travel up to 244 miles on a single charge, according to the company.
With the Roadster’s starting price still about $100,000, most of us won’t be reaping the benefits of this technology upgrade anytime soon. But, said Musk, expect it to arrive eventually in the Model S.
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