Tesla’s next-generation Roadster was spotted in Malibu yesterday and it looks like it may have broken down. Based on pictures obtained by Electrek , passersby saw the prototype in the middle of the road and it looks like the driver was experiencing some kind of difficulty. The driver happened to be Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s Chief Designer. Von Holzhausen may have taken the new Roadster out for a spin for a scheduled photo shoot since he later posted a professional photograph of himself in the premium electric vehicle.
According to Electrek , Tesla has said that the vehicle did not break down even though it was seen in the middle of the road. They assert that the car was able to drive off “on its own.” Automobile prototypes do break down though, as the cars aren’t meant to be invincible at this stage. Tesla CTO, JB Straubel, once said that they produced multiple prototypes for the launch of the original Roadster and switched them out during the event to avoid breakdowns, Electrek notes.
The idea that the new Roadster prototype may have broken down probably won’t dissuade interested buyers. The unveiling of the zippy red electric sedan stole a lot of the thunder from the launch’s original main attraction, the Tesla semi.
First next-gen Tesla Roadster sighting in the wild – prototype apparently breaks down https://t.co/A73ENqQ8WP pic.twitter.com/GXs1WkGthu
— Electrek.co (@ElectrekCo) January 6, 2018
Elon Musk and Co. have made some audacious claims about the vehicle’s capabilities. As the Inquisitr previously reported, Tesla says that the car can drive 620 miles on a single charge . They also promised that the car will go from 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 secs with 10,000 Nm of torque. For comparison, the recently released Tesla Model 3 goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.
Afternoon cruise pic.twitter.com/9YKcVBryiu
— Franz von Holzhausen (@woodhaus2) January 6, 2018
Musk has also said that there will be an even faster version of the next-gen Roadster and that it might include rocket technology , courtesy of his other company, SpaceX, presumably.
But critics have questioned whether these specs are even possible given the current state of electric battery technology. Experts told Bloomberg that the vehicle will require a 200 kWh battery pack to make the specs a reality. This is about double the size of the electric automaker’s largest battery.
Tesla’s new Roadster costs $200,000 but that’s just the base price. The Founder’s series price is $250,000.
