vfx said:
With a longer third gear it could reach at least 170mph.
So does anyone want to speculate why Tesla did not do this?
There are have been some who have pointed out that the Roadster has a Supercar price but not Supercar top end...
OK, I'll give speculation a try.
I'm guessing that there are a number of factors.
1) Two gears and their housing weigh less and take up less room than three. With more than a single gear per clutch shaft, the transmission becomes much more bulky and robs space and weight better used for more batteries.
2) Having only two gears and no clutch pedal to operate makes it possible to attract buyers who are used to automatic transmissions, thereby broadening the market appeal by a factor of three. One only needs to select "Drive" (2nd gear) or "Sport" (1st gear) to successfully drive the car at ordinary traffic speeds. During our test drive, the company driver pointed out more than once that 1st gear was only needed for "maximum performance" and rarely needed for even spirited driving.
3) A high speed 3rd gear is only required for extremely high speeds. At extremely high speeds, the aerodynamic losses increase to the point where they suck prodigious energy from the battery pack. The extra energy consumed while smashing air molecules out of the way reduces the miles per charge as speeds get really high at an exponential rate.
This car is only being sold in the 48 continental states of the US. Where can one drive a car faster than 130 mph in the continental US?
Perhaps at the race track? I own a 605 hp Porsche that rarely exceeds 145 mph on any of the race tracks where I have driven it - flat out. Going that fast, however briefly, on an ordinary US public road doesn't hold a strong appeal for me. And, it's more than a little dangerous. Few US drivers have autobahn experience.
As the nanny state encroaches more and more, doing even 100 mph is going to become more difficult in the future. The driving fun left for the future is going to look just like what the Tesla Roadster offers; go-kart handling and rocket-ship acceleration up to a limit of high two digit speeds.