Tesla’s wild new Roadster comes with a deep range cut
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Tesla’s next-generation Roadster has lost more than half its promised range, going from 620 miles to just over 300. That’s a pretty hefty downgrade for a car that’s been nearly nine years in the making. Turns out, Tesla’s latest speed demon is more interested in burning rubber than racking up road-trip miles.
Tesla’s Roadster range has taken a serious hit
When Tesla first unveiled the next-generation Roadster in 2017, its 620-mile range claim helped set it apart from other performance EVs. The pitch was simple: supercar-level acceleration without sacrificing long-distance cruising. Fast-forward to today, and Tesla’s latest estimate is 310 to 320 miles per charge. That’s still respectable for an electric sports car, but it’s a rather different promise from the one that originally grabbed everyone’s attention.
In a nearly hour-long interview with Top Gear, Tesla vice president of engineering Lars Moravy and the company’s design chief confirmed that the Roadster is targeting production in Texas in 2028. The new car also gets a ground-up rethink, including an aluminium and carbon-fibre chassis, steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire and carbon-ceramic brakes. Its bespoke battery pack uses nickel-based lithium-ion cells and operates at 800V to 1,000V, although Tesla hasn’t revealed its capacity.
The rest of the spec sheet makes it clear where Tesla’s priorities lie. The Roadster can reportedly charge at up to 500kW using a V4 Supercharger, taking the battery from 15% to 85% in 10 minutes. Its dual-motor, rear-wheel-drive setup delivers over 1,073hp in the base version, rising beyond 1,341hp in higher trims, while the battery can supply up to 1,000kW. The lightest variant weighs around 3,700 pounds, and Tesla is targeting a top speed of 330mph, although the current figure is 214mph. In other words, the Roadster seems more interested in setting your hair on fire than taking you halfway across the country without stopping.
That doesn’t make the range figure a deal-breaker. More than 300 miles could be plenty for weekend drives and longer journeys, especially with charging this quick. But the change is worth noting for buyers who reserved the car based on its original specifications. After years of waiting, they’re looking at a very different range promise, and with production still targeted for 2028, there’s time for the numbers to change again
The Roadster still has something to prove
Tesla’s updated range claim is a reminder that a long-awaited car can change considerably between its first reveal and its eventual production target. The Roadster may still deliver blistering performance, but its range has gone from a headline-grabbing promise to a more conventional figure for a high-performance EV. And after nearly nine years of waiting, buyers have every reason to look beyond the spectacle and ask what the finished car will actually deliver, that is, if they can even get their hands on one without an invitation.
The biggest question isn’t whether the Roadster can do something outrageous. It’s whether Tesla can finally deliver the car, and whether the finished version will live up to the promises that made people reserve it in the first place.
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