Tesla already allows you to reserve the second generation of the Tesla Roadster in our country. What aspires to be the best electric sports car of the moment can be ours for a not inconsiderable amount. As long as we have the money for its final payment and, of course, it is launched on the market. Something that, unfortunately, seems to remain unknown.
an aspiration It was 2006 and Elon Musk had a goal between his eyebrows: to launch the Tesla brand. The first steps, as is usually done in the automobile market, were to create an aspirational, luxury product. A first model that broke schemes to convince locals and strangers of the viability and credibility of his firm.
The Tesla Roadster was in charge of driving the early years of the brand. Taking advantage to a large extent of a Lotus product, Elon Musk launched a convertible, rear-wheel drive vehicle on the market, between 252 and 292 CV depending on versions and which, above all, put on the table the idea that electricity could also be very fun.
the first roadster. In addition to being a very interesting car for the general public, the model was key for the company. He had a car in his hands that started at 100,000 euros and soon caught the attention of those who really interested him: the wealthiest people in the United States.
Although in 2009 the company was on the verge of bankruptcy, it had taken a big step. He had a very striking car in his hands, which demonstrated what Tesla could achieve despite the fact that the technology was still in its infancy and, above all, made reality what, until recently, was unthinkable. That is, it gave investors a reason to believe in a company that was struggling to survive.
An impulse. A little over ten years later, Elon Musk would repeat the play, but only on paper. Taking advantage of the fact that the production of the Tesla Model 3 had started, the great electric car for the masses on which to support the viability of the company, the brand remained to be relaunched. As a surprise to one of his appointments with investors, he presented the Tesla Semi and the new Tesla Roadster in 2017.
To partly alleviate the negative opinion that the company was generating with the problems derived from the production of its Tesla Model 3, Elon Musk announced that he had a revolutionary car on his hands. It was, of course, this new electric convertible. A car like never seen before.
The new (and already old) Tesla Roadster. “The new Tesla Roadster will be the fastest production car ever made. Spot”. True to his style, Elon Musk did not go around half measures. The promise was a car that, seen in perspective, was completely unrealizable in 2017: a convertible capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.9 seconds and with a range of 1,000 kilometers.
Six years later, everything is still promises. From its acceleration (by the way, at this time it would no longer be the fastest production car in the world) to its top speed, which Musk estimated at 400 km/h. Going through absolutely everything. From Tesla they assured that they would have a 200 kWh battery. No one comes close to that number right now.
you can book now. Despite everything, this same car of which nothing has yet been seen can already be reserved in Spain. It is only necessary to deliver 4,000 euros at the time of the first reservation and nourish Tesla’s coffers with another 39,000 euros in the next 10 days. In the contract that is signed when making the reservation there is no trace of possible delivery periods.
We also don’t know how much the car will ultimately cost. In 2017, it was anticipated that its starting price would be around $200,000. But of course, the supply chain or the price of the minerals that make up the highest value batteries had not blown up either. Nor had the electric car market entered into a price war that reduces the profit margin per unit sold.
Without a trace. What we did not imagine in 2017 either is that, in 2023, everything promised by the Tesla Roadster has not been fulfilled and, furthermore, it seems very difficult to fulfill. In the original 2017 announcement, the sports car was announced for 2020, the same year that our colleague Héctor Ares was able to test the Porsche Taycan for Xataka. A car that certified the ceiling of the electric car at that time and that, despite its 2.8 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, was far from what Musk promised.
Since 2020, continuous delays. The last one was announced in May of this year, when Elon Musk let shareholders know that the Tesla Roadster will enter the production chain in 2024. “Hopefully,” the company’s top leader pointed out. From a review of its technical characteristics or price, not a word.
Same old strategy. Elon Musk has accustomed us to this type of movement. For years he has made promises that are broken time and time again but that make investors wonder “what if this time…”. This is how he managed to sustain the company and this is how he has laid the foundations of what Tesla is today.
The firm has given negative results until not so long ago and, along the way, the Tesla Semi continues to be an enigma, the Tesla Cybertruck is delayed time and time again and the much-vaunted autonomous driving does not finish taking off, despite the historical announcements of robotaxis. And, despite everything, the firm breaks milestones one after another.
In Xataka | Tesla has stagnated at the design level. It’s the price to pay for selling cars en masse
Photo | Tesla
