Elon Musk hints that upgraded Roadster could be able to 'fly short hops'
- Tesla will offer a special upgrade package for its new Roadster.
- The upgrade package could include rocket technology that enables the car to "fly short hops," CEO Elon Musk said.
- The new Roadster begins pricing at $200,000.
Tesla's new Roadster may have an unprecedented feature.
Last Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the next-generation Roadster at a press event. With a 0-60 mph time of just 1.9 seconds, the base model of the car is crazy quick. But Musk said on Sunday that there will be a special upgrade package that would take the car to the "next level."
"Not saying the next gen Roadster special upgrade package *will* definitely enable it to fly short hops, but maybe …" Musk said via Twitter.
"Certainly possible. Just a question of safety. Rocket tech applied to a car opens up revolutionary possibilities," he said.
It's hard to imagine a production car going faster than 0-60 mph in less than 1.9 seconds. After all, Formula 1 cars hit the same mark in about 1.3 seconds but aren't street legal.
But Musk isn't shy about pushing the limits. And considering he is also CEO of SpaceX, he has the rocket tech that could be applied to Tesla cars.
In fact, the car maker already collaborates with SpaceX on certain things.
"Given that Tesla and SpaceX are totally non-competitive and have a similar first-principles approach to problem solving, employees at one company are occasionally able to share ideas that help the other," a Tesla spokesperson told Bloomberg in September.
We'll have to wait and see what exactly the upgraded package will entail and what Musk meant by it being able to "fly short hops," but it's worth noting that the base model Roadster is still pretty impressive on its own.
Besides its insanely quick acceleration time, it has a top speed of about 250 mph and a 250-kilowatt-hour battery pack, giving it a 620-mile range.
The base model of the Roadster will begin at $200,000, and if you want a Founder's Series vehicle, you'll have to shell out $250,000. A reservation will set you back $50,000 for the base model.