by Luke Johnson 28 December 2014 |
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Electric cars are still on the periphery of becoming mainstream, but with Tesla’s latest update they are taking a step closer to practical success.
Despite the new Tesla Model S grabbing many of the eco-car headlines of late, company CEO Elon Musk has revealed the longstanding Tesla Roadster is being given a range extending boost.
Making the announcement via Twitter, Musk has confirmed the Roadster’s range for a single battery charge is being boosted to ‘almost 400 miles’.
He stated the update would “enable non-stop travel from LA to SF (San Francisco)” without the need for a lengthy recharge.
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In order to make this possible, Tesla has taken the latest battery tech from the Model S and converted it for use in the new Roadster 3.0 package.
“Battery technology has continued a steady improvement in recent years, as has our experience in optimizing total vehicle efficiency through Model S development,” an official Tesla spokesperson said.
“We have long been excited to apply our learning back to our first vehicle, and are thrilled to do just that with the prototype Roadster 3.0 package.”
As well as introducing new battery cells – 31 per cent more efficient than their predecessors – the new Tesla Roadster is being enhanced through some aerodynamic and rolling resistance improvements.
The company stated: “Combining all of these improvements we can achieve a predicted 40-50% improvement on range between the original Roadster and Roadster 3.0.
“There is a set of speeds and driving conditions where we can confidently drive the Roadster 3.0 over 400 miles.
“We will be demonstrating this in the real world during a non-stop drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the early weeks of 2015.”
