Between the launch of the new Tesla Semi and the 2nd generation Roadster, I think we may look back on this as the moment in which gasoline and diesel cars were finally defeated.
After a month-long delay, Tesla made a moderate splash by finally unveiling their fully-electric semi truck. The shape, widely trailed, was not a surprise as much as the specs Elon Musk outlined in his presentation; 500 mile range fully loaded at 60 MPH, 0-60 in 15 seconds when fully loaded, and a mere FIVE seconds when empty. Combine these with an alleged 30 minute recharge time, and we may be seeing more than a handful of these on the road in a few years time.
Of course, even after learning about the MegaCharger network designed for the trucks (in addition to a myriad of extrapolated stats about total cost, more on that in another article), Musk still had another trick up his sleeve…
Many will remember the much-maligned, original Tesla product; the Roadster. For those who don’t, it was a Lotus Evora with the combustion engine removed, replaced by numerous batteries and a couple of electric motors. The range, by today’s standards, was pitiful. It wasn’t especially fast. It wasn’t terribly reliable.
This new one though? 0-60 in under 1.9 seconds. 0-100 in 4.2 seconds. 630 mile range. Elon Musk went as far as calling it the “fastest production car ever, period,” and then flashed a slide which claimed the top speed of the 2nd generation Roadster was in excess of 250 MPH. The current website slots the cost right around $250,000, which puts it squarely in contention amongst the established Dino-powered supercar range.
The Model 3 has had numerous production issues, the X and S have been less-than-perfect in quality and long-term reliability. Tesla is notorious for overrunning release deadlines. It’s safe to say, however, that Musk has met his goals, even if they are a bit on the late side. If both of these vehicles live up to their hype, could this be when electric cars finally leave gas powered cars in the dust? Most definitely. Will there be plenty of back-pedaling, delays, and disruptions? Almost certainly.
This is what I have been told that the future looks like for the last 45 years. This is exciting. Hopefully by the time my current car needs replaced I can step into an electric with self drive.