It was billed as a launch for a new electric truck. But Tesla Inc’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Elon Musk, always the showman, sprang a major surprise on the audience of converted petrol-heads, journalists and geeks gathered at the SpaceX Center, Hawthorne, California last night.
For out the back of a trailer, pulled by its new giant battery-powered Tesla Semi, emerged the revamped Roadster 2.0, which Musk said was the fastest production car ever, “period”.
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With a rip-yer-face off 0-60mph in under two seconds, it outpaces any of the supercharged McLarens, Bugattis and Koenigseggs beloved of the ‘boy racers’ who inhabit Knightsbridge, Kensington and Mayfair every summer.
Elon Musk unveiled a new Tesla Roadster that he said could reach 60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds https://t.co/HC5Fp0NWVP
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 17, 2017
Range not a problem
For those who suffer range anxiety (and who have US$200,000 to spare), fear not as the Tesla supercar will be able to cruise almost 1,000 kilometres between charges.
The Financial Times describes Roadster’s sleek lines as a throwback to its first Lotus-designed vehicle.
Musk thinks his new baby will radically shake-up the premium end of the market.
“The point of this is just to give a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars,” he said.
“Driving a gasoline sports car is going to feel like a steam engine with a side of quiche.”
Truck launch overshadowed
The unveiling of the new sports model, which will be seen on the roads from 2020, overshadowed the launch of the Tesla Semi – and you suspect that was the plan.
Yet the rig, whose design makes you actually want to own a truck, could revolutionise haulage.
Again, Tesla appear to have the range problem sorted – it can go around 800 kilometres without being plugged in.
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And its curves aren’t there just for show, but to reduce the drag and overall enhance efficiency.
Earlier this week Musk tweeted that the truck would "blow your mind clear out of your skull," joking: "It can transform into a robot, fight aliens and make one hell of a latte."
If nothing else, it has the likes of Daimler Benz and Volkswagen and the other big lorry makers on the back foot.
Tesla added 3.03% to US$321.97.