Next gen Roadster

[Eberhard]

it only travels less then 300km at 90km/h therefore battery is 50kWh not 150kWh. But the rang extender will keep you warm, while driving in wintertime.

[AnOutsider]

Pretty amazing specs above - any idea on price?

I thought around 250k

[stopcrazypp]

Pretty amazing specs above - any idea on price?

150kWh battery pack - makes the 45/60 & 85kWh options for the model S look a bit small?

Looks like the 150kWh is a typo or translation error. Most of the press say 50kWh or "150 kWh (50000 watt-hours)" 50000 watt-hours = 50kWh. It doesn't inspire a lot of confidence that they can make such an error on their official website.

I'm having a look and see attitude because there's plenty of EVs with great specs on paper that never make it to production.

[Kevin Sharpe]

But the rang extender will keep you warm, while driving in wintertime.

It's an optional extra and they plan to offer extra batteries if you leave out the range extender.

[Kevin Sharpe]

It doesn't inspire a lot of confidence that they can make such an error on their official website..

French is their first language so I think it's an easy mistake to make.

I'm having a look and see attitude because there's plenty of EVs with great specs on paper that never make it to production.

I've seen the pre-production car and it is truly beautiful. Full production version should be at the Paris show in September. The build quality of the pre-production car was truly top quality... one of the nicest cars I've ever seen.

[Grendal]

I've seen the pre-production car and it is truly beautiful. Full production version should be at the Paris show in September. The build quality of the pre-production car was truly top quality... one of the nicest cars I've ever seen.

For $250K it should be one of the nicest cars you've seen. How many do they intend on building? At that price I would expect 200 or less. It has a very nice look to it.

[Kevin Sharpe]

For $250K it should be one of the nicest cars you've seen. How many do they intend on building? At that price I would expect 200 or less. It has a very nice look to it.

Lots of cars have a similar price tag... especially those that can hit ~180mph... one of the reason why I think Tesla should be building a next gen Roadster

First years production is 100 although they said that Geneva was so successful that they are reviewing their plans (will know more in Paris).

[daniel]

... I'd like to keep power steering out of things too, but I accept that I'm probably just weird on that front. [...]

I'd want better 0-60 and range.

Agree too but I realize that no power steering looses a lot of weak-armed customers.

My Porsche needs power steering. My Roadster does not. In its first iteration, the power steering pump on the Porsche was driven from the motor, so when in neutral there was no power. I was used to downshifting in turns with the Civic, but without a clutch in the Porsche (just one of many stupid things the original conversion shop did) it was impossible to downshift quickly since the freewheeling motor has no internal drag to slow it down. As a result, I found myself in neutral in a turn, without power steering, and I very nearly hit the outside curb turning into a parking lot. It was harder to steer than the old Super WD4 tractor driving on a plowed field.

The Roadster is hard to turn the wheel only at a stop or very slow. I am a weakling. At the gym I could clean and press the bar, alone, without any weights on it. I have very little upper body strength. But I don't need power steering on the Roadster. I would not say power steering would be a bad thing. Just that the car doesn't need it.

I also don't need better 0-60. I chose not to buy the sport version because it wasn't worth it to me. But more range is always good, though I would very seldom use it. With 350 mile range maybe I'd drive it in for its annual maintenance. But hopefully by then they'll have a service center here.

Edit: I don't need it to go over 100 mph, either. I cannot imagine anybody needing that unless they're taking it on a track or the German autoban.

[doug]

Discussion of the Furtive should go here: Exagon Furtive e-GT

[Doug_G]

But I don't need power steering on the Roadster. I would not say power steering would be a bad thing. Just that the car doesn't need it.

I dunno, doing autocross the steering is a bit heavy and requires some hand-over-hand work on the sharp corners. My S2000 handles much more easily in the corners, and I can usually just keep my hands at the 3 and 9 positions.

Edit: I don't need it to go over 100 mph, either. I cannot imagine anybody needing that unless they're taking it on a track or the German autoban.

Yeah, but I do go on the track. At low speeds very few cars can touch it. At higher speeds it can't really keep up.