Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stirred things up once again with his latest announcement on X (formerly Twitter) about the upcoming Tesla Roadster.
This highly anticipated all-electric sports car has been pushed back for a 2025 release after its original launch date was set for 2020.
Tesla has since delayed the vehicle each year since, but Musk's new statements might quell customer impatience.
Musk has promised a wild feature for the Roadster: accelerating from 0 to 96 km/h in under a second.
Performance leap
The Tesla CEO's bold claim sets a new benchmark in EV performance - if proven true.
"This is the least interesting part," Musk stated, underscoring the innovative nature of the Roadster.
Such a feat would not only surpass Tesla's previous estimate of 1.9 seconds but would also dethrone the current record-holder, the Rimac Nevera, which boasts a 0-96 km/h time of 1.74 seconds.
Notably, Rimac itself believes sub-one-second acceleration times are possible for production cars.
SpaceX tech
Musk's vision for the Roadster extends beyond traditional automotive boundaries, as he expressed, "There will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car".
He attributes the enhanced performance targets to a significant design overhaul.
The inclusion of the 'SpaceX option package', featuring about ten small rocket thrusters around the vehicle, is set to elevate the Roadster's capabilities to new heights - quite literally.
Musk even hinted at the possibility of the car flying, but that concept should be taken with a grain of salt, at least for now.
Coming in 2025?
While the Roadster's original 2020 launch date feels like eons ago, its journey to production has faced multiple delays.
The final design is slated for a reveal at the end of 2024, with Musk teasing it as potentially “the most mind-blowing product demonstration of all time”.
Following this, the first shipments are expected in 2025.
In a more personal reflection, Musk reminisced about prioritising a McLaren F1 and a modest condo over a mansion in Palo Alto after selling his first company in 1999.
He suggested that the new Roadster would inspire a similar affection, saying people would love it more than their house.
Musk seems confident about the Roadster, but we'll have to wait and see whether it lives up to the hype - or dies by it.