When the Tesla Roadster debuted in 2008, many were skeptical for the prospects of an auto company headquartered in California building exclusively electric vehicles. In the movie "Revenge of the Electric Car", the early struggles of the organization headed by PayPal founder Elon Musk clearly illustrated a deep sea of mud to trek through for Tesla Motors. Despite some production troubles, the Roadster did gain enough attention to keep the company in business. Development and successful launch of Motor Trend Car of the Year winning Tesla Model S cemented that the struggles were worth it. Advertised by Tesla Motors as the Roadster 3.0 package, the electric car automaker serves two interests; current owners of their initial automobiles with a tempting modification and those they intend to win over by proving gains in electric vehicle technology.
The main goal of Tesla's Roadster 3.0 package is to increase the potential of electrified performance pleasure by increasing its range. A battery pack containing a higher-capacity cell is the main ingredient to the Roadster 3.0 package. Holding 31 percent more energy than the previous lithium-ion battery cells, the total battery capacity for the Tesla Roadster with the range-extending upgrade is 70 kWh (up from 56 kWh).
Along with increasing battery capacity, the Tesla Roadster 3.0 package also include measures for reducing air and mechanical resistance. A refined aerodynamic body kit trims the electric sports car's drag coefficient by 15 percent. The 0.31 drag coefficient achieved through the new body improvements is equal to the aerodynamics reported by the Pagani Huayra. Serving as the third area of improvement with the Roadster 3.0 package enhancements, rolling resistance has been reduced by new tires, better wheel bearings a lowered brake drag.
According to Tesla Motors, all Roadster 3.0 package improvements made to the all-electric two-seat sports car will allow the vehicle to travel beyond 400 miles. In a few weeks time, Tesla will demonstrate the improved range of the Tesla Roadster in a non-stop drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles (a 381.8-mile trip according to Google Maps). Owners of the Tesla Roadster can schedule the first appointments for the Roadster 3.0 upgrades by the spring of 2015. Tesla Motors also teases this recent tuning will not be the only improvement the electric automaker plans for their Roadster.
Coming at the end of a year where automakers received attention for massive recalls, Tesla Motors' news is an unusual circumstance when a car company announcements vehicle changes for something rather than a safety issue. A few years ago, I pondered the notion whether we could expect manufacturers to release updates to sold vehicles could become a normal occurrence. Naturally, since automobiles are quickly becoming connectible, software updates to infotainment is a definite future. What truly had me interested in the coming years of automobiles was updates to improve performance. The quirky Tesla Motors gained attention with the 2.5 upgrade of their electric Roadster in 2010 but the actions of a more than century-old Ford Motor Company during the same timespan also proved intriguing. Months after releasing their Super Duty truck with a 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel engine, Ford invited early buyers back to dealerships for a performance enhancement that added 65 pound-feet of torque to the truck. The move was directed as a counterstrike against the General Motors' Duramax diesel engine that briefly bettered the Ford Super Duty.
Tesla Motors claims there are no immediate packages being created for exploring improvements to the Model S.
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