Tesla Roadster Prototype

The Tesla Roadster Prototype is a second-generation electric four-wheel-drive sports car prototype.

In 2011, after mass production of the original Tesla roadster ended, Elon Musk suggested that a new version of the roadster without the Lotus chassis would be back in production by 2014. The new roadster was first introduced in 2014. It was also called the Tesla Model R at the time.

A prototype roadster was unexpectedly revealed at the end of the November 16, 2017 Tesla Semi event and announced for a planned release in 2020 with a starting price of $200,000. Later, Elon Musk pushed the start of production to 2022 after the launch of the Tesla Model Y, and then to 2023.

The Roadster was billed as the fastest-running production car ever made. Elon Musk explained the concept in the following way: “The point of this is to deal a serious blow to gasoline cars. Driving a gas-powered sports car will feel like a steam engine with the addition of quiche.” Tesla said the Roadster will be capable of 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, faster than any street-legal production car at the time of its announcement in 2017.

The roadster received three electric motors, one in front and two in the rear, providing all-wheel drive, as well as a torque distribution system between the wheels for better cornering. The 200 kWh battery, twice the capacity of the Tesla Model S P100D, should provide a range of 621 miles (1000 km) at high speed. Torque at the wheels is about 10,000 Nm.

The prototype was designed by former Mazda designer Franz von Holzhausen, who was also responsible for most of the early vehicles produced by Tesla Motors. Despite the name of the model "Roadster", it is not a roadster in the original sense. The car received a removable glass roof and a body with two front seats plus two small "child" seats in the back.

Sources