00:00Tesla Roadster to finally launch on October 1st with bonkers SpaceX tech.
00:05Just when you thought electric supercars had run out of party tricks,
00:09Elon Musk has apparently decided to add rockets. Tesla says it will unveil its long-delayed
00:15second-generation Roadster on October 1st, nearly nine years after the spectacular prototype first
00:21appeared. But the production car may be dramatically different from the sleek red
00:26machine shown in 2017. According to Reuters, Tesla is preparing a limited-edition version
00:32equipped with cold gas thrusters developed in collaboration with Musk's rocket company,
00:37SpaceX. Before anyone imagines flames erupting from the rear bumper like a James Bond Aston Martin,
00:44cold gas thrusters do not burn rocket fuel. They discharge highly pressurized gas through
00:49carefully positioned nozzles to produce short bursts of thrust. Spacecraft use similar systems
00:55for attitude control and precision maneuvering. Musk first floated the idea in 2018, saying an
01:02optional SpaceX package could incorporate approximately 10 small thrusters arranged
01:07around the Roadster. Depending on their positioning, they could theoretically improve acceleration,
01:12braking and cornering, or perhaps even allow the car to momentarily lift itself from the ground.
01:18Reuters suggest Tesla may demonstrate the system at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas.
01:25The car could be operated remotely because of the obvious risks posed by compressed gas,
01:30violent acceleration, and deafening noise. Tesla has not confirmed the final technical
01:36configuration or whether a thruster-equipped Roadster could ever be licensed for public roads.
01:41When Tesla originally unveiled the Roadster, it claimed the four-seat electric sports car would
01:46accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds, cover the quarter mile in 8.9 seconds,
01:54exceed 250 miles per hour, and travel 620 miles on one charge. Its enormous 200-kilowatt-hour battery was
02:03also expected to make it considerably heavier than traditional supercars. Those figures sounded absurd in
02:092017. Today, however, electric hypercars from Rimac, Pininfarina, and China's BYD-owned Yongwang have made
02:17sub-two-second acceleration almost commonplace, at least among automobiles costing seven figures.
02:23The Roadster's long delay allowed the competition to catch and, in some cases, overtake Tesla's original
02:30targets. That helps explain the thrusters. Tesla no longer needs merely to build another very fast electric
02:37car. It needs to create a spectacle no rival can easily duplicate. Cold gas propulsion could give
02:43the Roadster an advantage where electric motors meet their greatest limitation, tire grip. Even if a
02:49powertrain produces thousands of horsepower, it cannot accelerate harder than its tires can transmit
02:56that force to the road. Rear-facing thrusters would introduce additional propulsion without relying
03:01entirely on contact with the asphalt. Will Tesla's price stay at $200,000? But considerable questions
03:09remain. Where will Tesla package the high-pressure tank? How many bursts will it provide before needing
03:15to be recharged? How will pedestrians, nearby cars, and emergency crews be protected? And what regulatory
03:22authority will approve a machine capable of blasting compressed gas around a public street? Price is another
03:29mystery. Tesla originally discussed a $200,000 starting price and a $250,000 founder series,
03:36but those figures date from 2017. The SpaceX-equipped edition could cost considerably more and may
03:43ultimately become a tiny, track-only technological showcase rather than a regular production model.
03:50The bigger issue is credibility. The Roadster was initially scheduled to arrive in 2020
03:55and has repeatedly slipped down Tesla's calendar. Musk has promised unveiling dates before, while production
04:02timing remains unclear. Still, the Roadster serves a purpose beyond sales. Tesla's original Roadster
04:10proved that an electric car could be desirable. The new one is intended to demonstrate that an EV can
04:15outperform, and thoroughly out-crazy, almost anything powered by gasoline. If Tesla delivers,
04:21the result could redefine the supercar. If it does not, the Roadster will remain the world's fastest automobile
04:29that never quite reached the starting line.
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