In a recent interview with host Ryan McCaffrey on the Ride the Lightning podcast, von Holzhausen provided some insights into the next-generation Roadster. Although the vehicle was first unveiled in 2017 alongside the Tesla Semi, it has yet to enter production. In comparison, the Tesla Semi began deliveries in December 2022.
Von Holzhausen acknowledged that Tesla is currently focused on becoming a mass manufacturer of electric vehicles and as a result, limited production vehicles like the Roadster 2.0 are not a priority at the moment. However, he emphasized that the company is still actively working on the car and when it is finally released, it will be better in every way than the prototype that was unveiled in 2017.
"We’re developing the car. I think you know we have priorities as a company, and the priorities are mass electrification. And Roadster is not a mass product. So unfortunately, you know it takes its kind of position, but we are working on it in earnest. And I think the time that we’ve taken has enabled us to really improve on basically every metric that we set out to establish when we first debuted that (car)," said von Holzhausen.
As for the Roadster 2.0's performance, the Chief Designer suggested using the performance and usability of a Model S Plaid as a point of reference, and using some imagination to envision the capabilities of the all-electric supercar. The Model S Plaid is said to match some of the Roadster 2.0 prototype's general specs, excluding its 620-mile range and 250+ mph top speed.
"I think if you can just extrapolate the performance and the usability of a Plaid Model S, and you can imagine where that could go, then I think your imagination takes you where we’re headed as well, in the capability and how much better the Roadster will be and the weight will be absolutely worth it. If you think about it, a Plaid Model S, it basically hits all the metrics that we said the Roadster could do, which seemed impossible for a car at that time. So imagine. Let your imagination run a little bit," von Holzhausen noted.
The Tesla Chief Designer's comments about the power inherent in the Model S Plaid and the Roadster's weight are noteworthy as the Model S Plaid's full potential is yet to be unlocked. Additionally, the Model S is a heavy and large car, so putting the unlocked version of the vehicle's powertrain into a smaller, lighter package could make for a supercar that can dominate the competition.
Source: Teslarati