No more 250 miles: Tesla Roadster drops range to 200 miles

In a recent letter sent out to first customers of the Tesla Roadster, Tesla Motors said that the Tesla Roadster will not meet the company’s original target of the 250 mile range it claimed during the release of the prototype. Based on the first driving tests on a EPA-compliant dynamometer, the range on the Tesla Roadster has been dropped to 200.

Tesla said the factors that contribute to the loss in range include the significant number of design changes made in order to increase safety and durability and the decision to lithium-ion cells with lower capacity since they have long-term durability and higher tolerance for abuse.

Nonetheless, the Tesla Roadster still has the highest range of any production EV in history.
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jon21 - 4/18/2007 4:47:51 PM

0 Boost

Does that means I can get one for $10,000, instead of the original $100,000?

chewy - 4/18/2007 9:23:31 PM

+1 Boost

Tada, I thouht so.

bagwell - 4/20/2007 8:49:49 AM

+1 Boost

200 instead of 250? is that such a huge disappointment? who in the hell commutes more than that in a day? if you're taking a trip somewhere you should fly anyway...duh!!!

S4cabriofoxone - 4/18/2007 10:49:20 PM

+1 Boost

Assuming I ONLY drove the twenty miles to and fro work everyday, without any other reason to drive, EVERY day, I could go a week without recharging the Tesla roadster.

t_bone - 4/18/2007 11:59:08 PM

0 Boost

One thing to note for the detractors--and there are many who absolutely hate the idea of the Tesla being a success--is that you can get a 75% or so charge in just an hour. So a lunch break could extend a trip pretty well.

Of course, the other thing is that batteries are only going to get better. In a few years vehicle range will be a moot point (cost of batteries, though, will probably remain high for a long time).

topneuro - 4/19/2007 10:14:10 AM

+1 Boost

Champagne taste on a beer budget?
Get a Electric Toyota Rav4 or Electric Smartfortwo.
Probaly good but not cheap enough yet.
http://hybridtechnologies.com/smartcar_order.php