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Elon Musk warns the Tesla Roadster might not ship until at least 2023
Add the Roadster to the list of new models Tesla won’t ship in 2022.
Audi's Skysphere concept EV roadster can transform into a grand tourer
Audi has just come out with one of the wildest EV concept ideas yet: A convertible roadster that extends its wheelbase to transform into a grand tourer.
Tesla's Roadster won't go into production until 2022
In a recent tweet, however, Elon Musk said that Roadster production isn’t set to start until next year (2022), confirming that it will be delayed by a good two years over the original date.
Lamborghini Sian Roadster drops the top, adds custom 3D printed vents
Last year Lamborghini debuted the 819HP Sian hybrid, its supercar with a supercapacitor, and now it’s back after deleting one pesky detail. This Sian Roadster is no convertible — there is no roof at all, so owners can always hear the V12 engine it pairs with a 48-volt electric motor more clearly. As Lamborghini CTO Maurizio Reggiani explained to Engadget last fall, the supercapacitor stores and discharges energy much more quickly than the lithium ion batteries most hybrids use.
Lotus puts its electric Evija hypercar prototype on the track
With just minutes to go until Tesla reveals its electric 'Cybertruck,' Lotus has shown off some EV news of its own. We're getting our first good look at its all-electric Evija roadster in "high-speed action" ahead of its China debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show. According to Lotus, the hypercar has "entered its initial build phase in the UK." That should put it on track for production in 2020 when it will debut as "the most powerful production series road car in the world." In a statement, executive director Matt Windle said "Everything about the Evija is 'For The Drivers'. I don't believe there is another EV in the world that can claim this. From the mid-engined-inspired Lotus layout, to the aerodynamics and downforce, the driving position, vehicle stance and unbelievable performance. It is instantly recognisable as special with a unique character, yet it is unquestionably a Lotus."
BMW’s Z4 M40i is a powerfully fun roadster
Roadsters are fun vehicles. They're top-down, nimble little cars that are summertime molded into steel, rubber, and glass. BMW's latest incarnation of the Z4 is all of those things and more. While we were sent the more powerful version of the car, it's hard to imagine the smaller-engine model not delivering the same amount of smiles. But it's not all windswept hair and sunshine. There's the inevitable exposure to sunburn and BMW has a few tech versions of that in its roadster.
Watch Tesla's record-breaking Laguna Seca lap
Last night Elon Musk tweeted that the company's Model S "just set record for fastest 4 door ever at Laguna Seca" and now there's video evidence of its 1:36.555 time. There aren't a lot of details available on the run or exterior shots to show how close to stock the sedan is. In a description, Tesla said this Model S is equipped with its "Plaid powertrain" (which continues the Spaceballs reference by going a step beyond Ludicrous) and a chassis prototype.
SpaceX Starman Roadster completes its first orbit around the Sun
Starman and his Tesla Roadster are now regular denizens of space. According to data from Where is Roadster, the cosmic driver has completed his first orbit around the Sun, taking 557 days since the first Falcon Heavy launch to circle our home star. Its path has taken it over 762 million miles since then, or enough to exceed its original 36,000-mile warranty over 21,000 times.
Apple hires former Tesla and Microsoft senior designer
Apple has hired Andrew Kim, formerly of Tesla and Microsoft, to bolster its design team. Kim captured the attention of many in 2011 with a custom iOS device stand and again in 2012 when, as a fan, he shared his vision for an overhaul of Microsoft's branding and design language. He then joined Microsoft and helped design the Windows 10 UI along with HoloLens and Xbox One S, he writes on his LinkedIn profile, before moving to Tesla.
SpaceX's Starman Roadster has ventured past Mars
Starman and its Tesla Roadster are officially a long, long way from home. SpaceX has confirmed that Falcon Heavy's test payload has passed Mars' orbit, putting it at one of its greatest distances away from the Sun (it should reach its far point on November 8th at 1.66AU, or 155 million miles). While it isn't about to rendezvous with Mars, this is no mean feat for an EV-toting mannequin. And you might want to remember this moment -- it's going to be a long time before Starman is close to Earth.
Tesla publishes the parts catalog for its electric cars
Unless you're changing tires, you generally can't fix a Tesla car yourself -- not when the brand has made it difficult just to get documentation, let alone parts. It's inching in the right direction, though. Tesla has published its parts catalog, detailing all the components for cars ranging from the original Roadster to the Model 3. You'll even see schematics showing how everything fits together.
Musk: Model Y prototype approved to go into production
On Tesla's earnings call after announcing its first quarterly profit, CEO Elon Musk chatted about the company's upcoming products. While claiming it has "the most exciting product roadmap of any company on Earth," Musk mentioned the Model Y crossover EV we've only seen hints of so far, and said "I recently approved the prototype to go into production."
Tesla's Roadster prompts Koenigsegg to rethink its supercars
Did you suspect that supercar manufacturers would be nervous when Tesla vowed that its next-gen Roadster would deliver a "hardcore smackdown" to gas-powered performance cars? Your hunch was well-founded. In a chat with Top Gear, Koenigsegg's namesake founder Christian von Koenigsegg revealed that his company started reworking its engines just to remain competitive with the Roadster's vaunted 1.9-second 0-60MPH time. "This is embarrassing," he said.
Tesla's new Roadster will appear on 'Jay Leno's Garage' August 23rd
Tesla's new Roadster has been virtually impossible to see outside of its original launch event unless you've been fortunate enough to spot a prototype in the wild. You're about to get a better peek, though. CNBC is teasing a close look at the electric supercar with the August 23rd episode of Jay Leno's Garage, with Jay Leno talking to Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen about the upcoming machine. There's no guarantee you'll receive any profound insights from the TV segment (and its likely YouTube follow-up), but it's a rare chance to see the Roadster in action before its 2020 launch.
Elon Musk says Tesla could build $25,000 EV in about 'three years'
When Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's second master plan, the $35,000 Model 3 represented the price floor. It wasn't set in stone, but you couldn't realistically expect more. However, the dream of a truly affordable Tesla EV just got a little more tangible. When tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee asked Musk in an interview about room for a lower-cost Tesla, the executive estimated that his company could build a $25,000 car in about three years "if we work really hard." This wasn't a promise of a car at that price point, to be clear, but Musk saw the vehicle as possible through a combination of both technical achievements and economies of scale.
Tesla Roadster may offer SpaceX package with actual rockets
Yes, you read that correctly. Elon Musk has followed up on remarks from Tesla's annual shareholder meeting (not to mention more cryptic hints in November) with a statement that the new Roadster's previously mentioned "SpaceX option package" will include 10 small rocket thrusters strung around the car. Reportedly, the kit would "dramatically improve" acceleration, braking, cornering and everything in between. It sounds ridiculous, but this isn't the most outlandish thing Musk has talked about in recent months. We wouldn't absolutely count on it, but we wouldn't bet against it, either.
Tesla Roadster's 'Augmented Mode' will boost your driving ability
Tesla's current semi-autonomous technology helps reduce your driving involvement. Its next big move, however, could encourage you to take a more hands-on approach. Elon Musk has revealed that the new Roadster will include an "Augmented Mode" that promises to "massively enhance" your driving ability -- he likened it to Tony Stark's Iron Man suit. Just how it would work is unsurprisingly a mystery (the car isn't even slated to arrive until 2020), but it's implied that this will give you a helping hand when you're driving near the car's performance limits.
Website follows journey of Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster through space
Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster may have slipped the surly bonds of Earth, but you can still follow its path through the Solar System. Satellite guru Ben Pearson's unofficial Whereisroadster.com website is tracking the EV based on NASA data and his own flight modeling (which, it turns out, is more accurate than Musk's). The site not only gives you an idea of the relative position and speed, but offers fun tidbits such as the number of times the car has voided its 36,000 mile warranty and its equivalent fuel economy if it had traveled under its own power.
Tesla targets 2,500 Model 3s a week while posting largest quarterly loss
After its CEO launched one of its Roadsters into space yesterday, Tesla posted its largest quarterly loss while simultaneously posting a jump in revenue. Meanwhile, the company is still working towards its earlier goal of producing 5,000 Model 3s a week.
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch gets a spacesuit-clad 'Starman'
The debut launch of the Falcon Heavy will be a serious and complex affair, but SpaceX boss Elon Musk is trying to boost the fun level to maximum. Not only is he using a cherry red Tesla Roadster as ballast for the first test, he's placed a dummy wearing SpaceX's stylish new space suit in the driver's seat, according to a new Instagram post. "Starman in Red Roadster," Musk wrote, a reference to the fact that the EV will supposedly be blasting David Bowie's Space Oddity.
