Elon Musk teases Roadster update to have 400 mile range

Tesla's Roadster announcement didn't make it in time for Christmas, but CEO Elon Musk still has a thing or two to say before the day is over. The good news is that the new version of the sports car will have a range that is almost double its predecessor. Even better, Musk is promising to finally reveal details tomorrow (December-26th) as a "day after Christmas" gift to eagerly awaiting fans. That is, of course, unless some crisis issues rear their ugly heads again to delay even that.

The original Roadster, which has been in the market from 2008 to about 2012, clocked an EPA range of 244 miles on a single charge. The Roaster upgrade is now teased to reach 400 miles. That is enough for a non-stop ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco. This pretty much tops the current 265 mile range of its own high-profile Tesla Model S, confirming earlier rumors that the Roadster will outpace its main EV model.

But to douse other somewhat unrelated rumors, Musk unambiguously stated that no new battery pack will be coming soon for the Model S. Of course, eventually that will happen, not just immediately. It is likely that the company is waiting for the completion of its battery gigafactory that it will be operating together with Panasonic.

The update to the Roadster line was mentioned by Musk in a shareholder meeting, scheduled to be revealed before the year ends. Although crisis management was blamed for the delayed announcement, there are still a few days left before 2014 comes to a close, and it seems that Tesla will be taking advantage of that remaining time to end the year with a bang.

SOURCE: @Elon Musk