Friday, December 26, 2014
By David Murphy December 26, 2014 02:30pm EST Comments Tesla hasn't teased when Roadster owners might be able to buy the update package, nor how much it will cost. Google Unveils Fully Functional Self-Driving Car Prototype Internet Access Returns in North Korea After Outage Cadillac CT6 Turning Rearview Mirror Into Camera BlackBerry, Boeing Team for Self-Destructing Phone Sony to Release 'The Interview' After All Which Tech Firms Have the Healthiest Staff? Get Product Reviews, Deals, & the Latest News from PCMag Offer valid for new PCMag app downloads only. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Which Booze Brands Are People Googling Most? In Memoriam: The Tech We Lost in 2014 The 10 Geeky Gifts for the Nerd in Your Life Top Stories: 5 Ways to Boost Your Productivity Today The Technologies That Will Transform 2015 Save Money, Space, and Your Dignity in the New Year Follow the link after sign up to get your free issue. Offer valid for new app downloads only. Subscribing to a newsletter, constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . ABOUT CONNECT ZIFF DAVIS SITES SUBSCRIBE SOCIAL About Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use Advertise if(ZDXI && ZDXI.Country() !== "CA"){ document.write(""); } Login PCMag Digital Edition Newsletters RSS Feeds Encyclopedia Contact Us AskMen Computer Shopper ExtremeTech Geek IGN TechBargains Toolbox PC/Mac Apple iOS Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Google Android Sony Reader Customer Service Facebook Twitter Pinterest Google+ If you were expecting Tesla to announce a brand-new car today, we have a bit of bad news for you. Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk has taken to Twitter to tease that there would be some kind of Tesla announcement this week. It's finally here, but it's only an update for the Tesla Roadster series of cars�the company's first major electric vehicle release, we should note. That said, it's quite an update. The new "Roadster 3.0" package mainly focuses on extending the car's range, which sits at around a claimed 245 miles or so in the car's most recent iteration. With Roadster 3.0, Tesla is making a bevy of improvements to push that range north of 400 miles, or a 40-50% improvement to the Roaster's capabilities. To demonstrate this fact, Tesla plans to drive a Roadster from San Francisco to Los Angeles non-stop in early 2015. And, no, the company couldn't probably make use of one of its recently announced battery-swap stations along the way�those are only for Tesla's Model S cars. Three main improvements to the Tesla Roadster are responsible for its increased range, and existing Roadster owners can purchase the upgrade pack at some point next year for a yet-to-be-released sum. The first improvement is a brand-new lithium ion battery, which helps catch the Roadster up with modern times (its 2008 battery, novel then, is a bit technologically dated at this point). "We have identified a new cell that has 31% more energy than the original Roadster cell. Using this new cell we have created a battery pack that delivers roughly 70kWh in the same package as the original battery," reads Tesla's blog post . A new series of aerodynamic upgrades will cut the car's drag coefficient by 15 percent. As well, new tires and wheel bearings are expected to deliver a 20 improvement to the vehicle's rolling resistance. Altogether, that's how Tesla boosts the Roadster's range. We're more curious just how much it might cost current Roadster owners, though we suspect the price won't be much of a problem for those who didn't have an issue paying north of $100K for a single vehicle to begin with. The new upgrades mean that Tesla's Roadster is actually its longest-range electric vehicle at this point (for a one-shot trip with no charging or swapping, that is). While Musk does hint that similar upgrades will also hit the company's Model S line of vehicles at some point , there's no word yet as to when Tesla might tweak its more "mainstream" electric cars. David Murphy got his first real taste of technology journalism when he arrived at PC Magazine as an intern in 2005. A three-month stint turned to six months, six months turned to occasional freelance assignments, and he has since rejoined his tech-loving, mostly New York-based friends as one of PCMag.com's news contributors. His rise to (self-described) fame in the world of tech journalism began during his stint an associate editor at Maximum PC, where his love of cardboard-based PC construction and meetings put him in charge... More�� Facebook's algorithm-driven highlight reel of 2014 might not be the thing you want to see when you s... More�� Stop trying to artificially inflate your app's presence in Google Play via keyword-laden "user revie... More�� An alleged hacker attack takes out both popular gaming services, and it's unclear just how long they... More�� Plus, get a free copy of PCMag for your iPhone or iPad today. Plus, get a free copy of PCMag for your iPhone or iPad today.
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