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Tesla Roadster performance specs are actual and not theoretical, says test driver
Emile Bouret, the man behind the wheel of the next-gen Roadster during the vehicle’s test drives last November, recently called on all car enthusiasts to support the upcoming all-electric supercar. According to the veteran test driver, vehicles like the next-generation Roadster have the potential to make the automotive world a “better place,” considering that it would likely trigger a race to make cars that are even more impressive.
Bouret has worked with Tesla since the company’s early days. A close friend of Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen and a 28-year veteran of the auto industry, Bouret has been asked to test drive the electric car makers’ vehicles from the original Tesla Roadster and the Model S. During his interview with YouTube’s VINwiki channel, Bouret admitted that he does not really understand the hate being directed towards the next-gen Tesla Roadster.
“I love that I live in a world where all these cars exist. You have Koenigseggs and Paganis and Ferraris and Lamborghinis and McLarens and Porsches and Rimacs and Teslas. So, I know there’s a lot of hate out there, but I just don’t understand it. If you’re a car person, wouldn’t you root for everybody? I’m definitely rooting for them because the world will be a better place if that car does get built and it gets on the road, because other people are gonna build cars to beat it — and we’re gonna win.”
The next-generation Tesla Roadster gave the auto industry a massive surprise when Elon Musk unveiled the vehicle last November. The all-electric supercar’s claimed specs, after all, including its 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, it’s quarter-mile time of 8.8 seconds, and its range of 620 miles per charge, have caused some controversy among conventional car enthusiasts. Among the most prominent points of skepticism include speed limitations because of the vehicle’s tires, as well as battery technology that is yet to be attained.
Tesla, however, has assured that the specs announced for the next-gen Roadster are actually conservative. According to Bouret, the upcoming all-electric supercar’s figures related by Elon Musk were not theoretical. They were the actual numbers that their tests have shown.
“Those aren’t theoretical. Those aren’t calculations. We’ve done those numbers. And I probably shouldn’t say that those numbers are even conservative, but they are. That thing is going to be a proper weapon,” he said.
The pervading doubts cast on the next-generation Tesla Roadster’s speed and range are understandable, considering that no other vehicle on the road today boasts comparable specs and performance. Over the past few months, however, Tesla has been dropping hints that the company does have all the necessary resources it needs to attain, or even surpass, the vehicle’s specs that were announced last November.
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A white next-gen Tesla Roadster makes an appearance during the 2018 annual shareholders meeting. [Credit: Dennis Pascual/Twitter]
Just last month, for example, Elon Musk openly discussed the idea of using some of SpaceX’s technology to augment the performance capabilities of the next-generation Tesla Roadster. According to Musk, the upcoming supercar would use Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPV), which are used by SpaceX’s Falcon rockets during re-entry and landing, to help the car’s acceleration and maneuverability. As we noted in a previous report, the seemingly outlandish idea is actually feasible.
As for the next-gen Roadster’s battery technology, Tesla CTO JB Straubel discussed it best during the company’s Q1 2018 earnings call. While addressing a question about the Tesla Semi’s range, Straubel noted that much of the doubts behind the company’s estimated range for its vehicles comes from a misunderstanding of the company’s battery tech.
“I think the key point is that it doesn’t require a dramatic breakthrough. So there’s a fundamental misunderstanding, I think, of what the current technology in our existing products can actually do. If they’re benchmarking sort of the best battery pack they can buy from a supplier, and then mapping that with what the Semi could do, it doesn’t solve. I think that’s maybe where most of it is coming from, but we basically have what we need in-house, and understand how to do those specs today,” Straubel said.
The next-generation Tesla Roadster is expected to enter production sometime in 2020. Test drives for the vehicle are expected to begin late next year.
Watch Emile Bouret’s discussion of the next-generation Tesla Roadster in the video below.
News
SpaceX just launched a secret payload from California
SpaceX launched a classified Space Force mission from Vandenberg, revealing almost nothing about its payload.
SpaceX launched a classified Falcon 9 mission for the U.S. Space Force from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Saturday night, and the government released almost nothing about what was on board. The mission, designated USSF-366, lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4E with a window that opened at 9:52 p.m. ET and ran into the early hours of Sunday, according to SpaceX’s own mission page, which described the payload only as classified. SpaceX confirmed the launch on its X account and pointed viewers to a livestream that began roughly ten minutes before liftoff.
Watch Falcon 9 launch the USSF-366 mission from pad 4E in California https://t.co/FFEzeYOds1
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 16, 2026
The lack of detail did not stop analysts from filling in the blanks. Independent tracking of the rocket’s stage drop zones matched the pattern SpaceX has used on previous Starlink Group 15 missions, according to reporting from Outer Space Today, which pointed to Starshield as the likely payload rather than a one off government satellite. Starshield is SpaceX’s national security product, a version of the Starlink satellite bus built to Pentagon specifications for earth observation, communications and hosted payloads. Unlike consumer Starlink, government agencies do not have to disclose what Starshield satellites are actually doing once they reach orbit.
USSF-366 is the latest entry in a steady flow of classified and semi classified work between SpaceX and the Space Force. The company picked up a $178.5 million task order in April to launch missile tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency, as Teslarati reported at the time, and followed that in July with a $1.6 billion award covering 18 more Falcon 9 missions from Vandenberg through the end of 2027, also detailed by Teslarati. Add those contracts up and SpaceX’s Pentagon business for 2026 alone tops $8 billion.
SpaceX scores another massive Pentagon deal to support military satellites
The Falcon 9 that flew Saturday landed back near the launch site, producing the sonic booms that have become routine for residents near Vandenberg. What is less routine is how little the public will likely ever learn about what the rocket carried. SpaceX and the Space Force have not confirmed the Starshield connection, and government satellite programs built on commercial buses rarely get identified beyond a mission number and a general orbit. For a company that live streams almost everything else it does, from Starship test flights to Optimus robot demos, USSF-366 is a reminder that some of SpaceX’s busiest work now happens entirely out of public view.
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On Friday, Tesla launched the Outlet Adapter that enabled Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) energy transfer, meaning owners could essentially utilize their cars as a power source for things like laptops, electric grills, or string lights.
However, even owners of some of the newest builds of the Model Y are finding out that their cars are not compatible with the new $80 accessory, stirring up a new complaint among members of the community.
Tesla launches V2L Outlet Adapter for Premium Model Y in the U.S.
Upon the release of the Outlet Adapter on Friday, I signed into my Tesla account to order the accessory. However, I was met with the dreaded “This product is not compatible with your 2026 Model Y” message at the bottom of the screen.
Some said their accounts also displayed the same message, but they ordered anyway. However, they might be surprised to find that this is no mistake; some of the newest Model Ys do not have the appropriate Power Conversion System (PCS). Mine, which was ordered on this day last year and delivered on August 31, has the old 48A, single-phase PCS.
Vehicles with the new, two-piece PCS are able to utilize V2L features on their cars:
🚨 Looks like you can hit the Parts Catalog and enter your VIN and check to see if your Model Y will be able to use the adapter for V2L.https://t.co/QA9zRk7n2k
h/t to @SawyerMerritt for finding this out.
-I am sad but this isn’t a huge loss. https://t.co/AYpI12QVV9 pic.twitter.com/LRFSrtRywo
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 16, 2026
Obviously, it’s disappointing. Many owners have taken delivery this year and still can not utilize the Outlet Adapter because their cars feature the old PCS:
Took delivery in February of 2026. I have the older one, so not going to work for me pic.twitter.com/RcOVq8gvvT
— Russell (@QuietTesla) August 16, 2026
It looks like if you have one of these older PCS units, you can upgrade, but the parts alone are $1,750, and that’s before Tesla adds labor for installing. It is honestly more logical to get some kind of portable power supply or power station at that point.
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It is great that Tesla has enabled V2L for Model Y vehicles, but it is also unfortunate that vehicles that are less than one year old are not able to take advantage of this awesome new feature.
With that being said, it truly is a first-world problem; can you really complain when Full Self-Driving is available, maintenance is incredibly inexpensive, and the car has been so good through a year of ownership?
Tesla has launched a new Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) Outlet Adapter for Premium Model Y vehicles in the United States, meaning you can now power devices like laptops or light strings with your vehicle’s battery.
It appears the capability will be available for any Model Y Premium trim, including those that were purchased prior to the Adapter being launched. It will also only impact Juniper Model Y vehicles, so the first-gen owners will unfortunately not have access to this capability.
If your Model Y was purchased before Tesla renamed the trim levels to “Premium” and “Standard,” it does not seem to be compatible. My Model Y is technically a Premium build, as it is the Long Range All-Wheel-Drive. However, Tesla says it is not compatible with my vehicle.
🚨 Tesla has launched the Outlet Adapter for Model Y Premium in the U.S., enabling V2L capability for all Premium trims (that’s what it appears to be as it is available for purchase with all Premium trims)
It’s available for $80. 2.4kW max power and rated for 120v, 20A pic.twitter.com/lDxlVIk5s8
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 14, 2026
For $80, you can now utilize your car as a portable charger for small appliances or devices. This is perfect for things like tailgates, concerts, or camping, as you can now plug in devices that you might use. Those string lights for camping? That laptop for the other games that are on at the tailgate?
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They’ll both utilize energy from your Tesla’s battery to be powered. This is the first time Tesla has expanded the capability to vehicles outside of the Model Y Performance and Cybertruck. However, this feature has been highly requested by owners for an extended period of time.
Tesla launched the Outlet Adapter in China last year:
Tesla China rolls out Model Y L V2L adapter, and it’s free for early owners
You will need the Mobile Connector to operate the Outlet Adapter: the Outlet Adapter will plug into the main housing of the Mobile Connector, where the appropriate adapter to charge your vehicle will plug in.
It is rated for 120 volts and 20 amps, and has a max power rating of 2.4kW.
You can buy it here from Tesla for $80.
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SpaceX just launched a secret payload from California
Tesla V2L adapter for Model Y stirs up a new complaint among owners
