Faster Tesla Roadster Sport to go on sale in Europe in 2009
Author: Robin Brown
Published: 14 January 2009
The Tesla Roadster Sport, a performance-orientated version of the all-electric Tesla Roadster, has gone on sale in the US boasting a 60mph sprint time of 3.7 seconds and zero tailpipe emissions.
The Roadster Sport knocks 0.2 of a second off the already-fast standard Roadster, courtesy of a hand-wound stator - the stationary electromagnetic element of an electric motor - and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque.
The Roadster Sport also features Yokohama Ultra High Performance tyres and tweaked suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars.
The Roadster Sport will start at around £77K (€112,000) excluding VAT in Europe when deliveries begin in late June.
Tesla has delivered more than 150 Roadsters to customers, and about 1,100 people are on the waiting list. Customers who haven’t taken delivery may upgrade to the Roadster Sport.
• Meanwhile, Tesla has inked a deal to provide Daimler - owner of Mercedes - with battery technology to fit out 1,000 smart electric vehicles by the end of 2009.
The battery will use the same lithium ion cells as the Tesla Roadster, but far fewer will be required to power the small, and likely urban-only smart.
Mainstream manufacturers have struggled to replicate the range, recharge times and power outputs of Tesla's battery tech. The Lotus Elise based Tesla Roadster is capable of travelling 244 miles on a single charge of three to four hours.
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