Elon Musk unveiled a successor to the original Tesla Roadster as part of his announcement of plans to build an EV semi-truck. The surprise rollout of the $200,000 Roadster, which he says will go into production in 2020, is designed “to give a hardcore smackdown to gas cars.” He promises staggering performance numbers of 1.9-second 0-60 mph acceleration, 4.2 seconds to 100 mph and 8.8 seconds in the quarter mile with a claimed top speed of over 250 mph.
The key to that performance is a 200 kWh battery pack which Musk said that in addition to giving the all-wheel drive Roadster its quickness, will also enable the vehicle to travel 620 miles between charges. Although it’s being marketed at a Roadster, the 2+2 car shown has a removable roof panel instead of a fully retractable top. The first 1,000 units, called the Founder Series, are priced at $250,000. Musk said Tesla is accepting refundable $50,000 deposits for the standard cars, while requiring full payment upfront for the Founder Series models.
