ATC@LWSK
Member
First thing to my mind: In-Flight Emergency Response (IFER) Manual - How to deal with In-Flight emergencies
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Now the Lotus probably isn't in any risk until Tesla comes with a next gen Roadster, maybe around 2020.
If I were to guess how the next gen Roadster would be, I would think it would be based on the Model 3 platform. Maybe AWD, ~500 hp, 80 kWh battery (400+ mile range), around 1.5 tons (with about 800 kg of that below the wheel hubs), 0-60 mph in 2.7 seconds, 170 mph top speed, 2 seats for adults and 2 seats for children or small adults and of course supercharging. Priced at around 80k USD and up. I'll let you decide if that would impact Lotus.I very much doubt they will be close if they do.
If Tesla were to build a Gen 2 roadster, it would expect it to be much more like a Jag F-Type, than a Lotus. The Lotus platform for the Roadster, was in many ways necessitated by Tesla's infancy at the time and the requirement to outsource a 2k build order, rather than them wanting to build something super lightweight with the last word in steering feel.
ISo whilst the Model T, wiped out the market for old nags, people still buy racehorses
If I were to guess how the next gen Roadster would be, I would think it would be based on the Model 3 platform. Maybe AWD, ~500 hp, 80 kWh battery (400+ mile range), around 1.5 tons (with about 800 kg of that below the wheel hubs), 0-60 mph in 2.7 seconds, 170 mph top speed, 2 seats for adults and 2 seats for children or small adults and of course supercharging. Priced at around 80k USD and up. I'll let you decide if that would impact Lotus.
I wouldn't call this a Roadster. A top-end Gen3 coupe maybe, but not a roadster.next gen Roadster ... 2 seats for adults and 2 seats for children or small adults
True enough. But I consider the possibility that Tesla will make another two-seat car as extremely slim in the next decade at least. Even though the number of seats would be increased, a Model 3-based sportscar would be the spiritual successor to the Roadster. In my view, at least.I wouldn't call this a Roadster. A top-end Gen3 coupe maybe, but not a roadster.
The Model S battery pack weighs around 600 kg today, and provides most of the structural rigidity of the Model S. With the new battery cell format and energy density improvements towards 2020, a 80 kWh battery pack shouldn't weigh much more than 500 kg, while also providing a convertible with all the required structural rigidity. Add 400 kg of motors, electronics, suspension, and you have a good skateboard design. And almost the entire skateboard can be placed below the wheel hubs. The actual body can be made out of carbon fiber and aluminium, and wouldn't weigh much.Sounds like what you are describing is an M3 convertible rival. Coupes / Saloons converted to soft tops, are rarely as good as the original design, and are usually substantially heavier, and still not as torsionally rigid. A BMW convertible is already more than 1.7 tonnes, so plucking a 1.5 tonne figure from the air seems unlikely.
You would sit higher up, yes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. It would make ingress/egress easier, and you would get better visibility. On the downside, you wouldn't get as much sense of speed.The second problem I can see is with the battery in the floor, whilst giving a low CoG, it does also put the driver in a relatively high up seating position for an out and out sports car. e.g. the Caymen/ Lotus / F-Type.
Tesla is still ramping up their engineering department. Once the Model 3 base model is launched, it wouldn't at all surprise me if they are capable of running two major development projects in parallel. Possible timeline:This is all academic anyway, the X is behind schedule, the 3 isn't launched (and I doubt we'll see that in RHD form much before 2019), so even if Tesla do decide to further extend their range, a coupe 3 would probably be next up a year or two later, maybe the convertible following that. Pushing well into the 2020s. By this time the Model S will be desperately in need of a replacement / major overhaul.
I think a supercar isn't in the cards. You make a supercar for publicity, of which Tesla has plenty. The focus for Tesla is making as many cars as possible and putting them into customer hands.So I honestly doubt Tesla would revisit the Roadster, and make an out and out track/sports car for a decade yet, if ever, and if they do it will be some sort of halo hyper-car. One that costs $1 million designed purely to outgun the Mclaren P1 / Porsche 918. Maybe with that out the way they set their sites on the much more profitable 911 market.
The SP:01 is really boring, though. It barely improves on the Roadster.Much more likely is a boutique firm offering a fairly basically equipped track day special (i.e. radical / atom / lotus). I guess we will see if the Detroit Electic comes to fruition, that's the closest we have to a replacement Roadster in anything like a predictable time frame.
Oh, I'm certainly not in the market for a sports car. My views on the matter are mostly from a Tesla investors point of view. I want Tesla to make an excellent sports car, but it also needs to appeal to as broad a market as possible. One of the criticisms of the Roadster was that it was difficult (almost undignified) to get in/out of the car. A higher seating position would mitigate that, and if sitting higher also means better handling and performance, that's great. Four seats and some room for luggage also means it can be used as a car, not merely as a toy, which means it will be more attractive for people who might go from three cars to two cars.@Yggdrasill I really think we will have to agree to disagree on this. (apart from the SP:01)
But I guess you aren't in the market for a proper sports car given some of your suggestions. (High seating positions, extra seats, etc. etc.)
Tesla's goal is for electric cars to conquer the world. You don't do that by leaving a niche for fossil cars to thrive. I think Tesla will make cars to rival the best fossil cars, but they will also make sure they can sell them in a meaningful volume. Which is great for everyone.I would love for an EV that comes close to stuff like the current generation Exige / Caymen GT4 / Porsche Cup, but honestly it's not going to happen for a very long time yet, and I don't think Tesla will be the ones to do it. The market is just too small for them to be interested. They will probably just stick to road cars that make good drag strip cars
Every fact in life can be challenged, but that doesn't make the challenge credible.
I have solar panels which generate power for my Model S without producing any emissions. Your statement would only be true if manufacturing of the Model S involves a much higher release of CO2 than the manufacture of other vehicles, and by a sufficiently high enough amount to offset zero emissions from driving and solar power generation across many tens of thousands of miles and years of ownership. I don't think anyone can make a credible argument in that direction. It's like trying to make that argument from 10 years ago that the Prius pollutes more than a Hummer. No, it doesn't.
I don't need a test ride, but thank you. I'm sure it will be a blast.I'm driving to the Arctic Circle Raceway raceway in July. I'll happily stop by and take you for a ride out.
It's noisy, smelly and undignified to get in/out off, but maybe you'll take the hard nose investor hat off, and look at it from a pure folly point of view. Even if not it's good to check out the competition, rather than just write it off purely on dogmatism