Connect with us

News

Tesla Roadster to come in 2023 if company can avoid supply chain ‘mega drama’

Tesla Roadster and Semi at Tesla Battery Day 2020 Credit: @GuyTesla | Twitter

Published

on

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the electric automaker could ship the next-generation Roadster in 2023, as long as 2022 is not filled with “mega drama” in terms of supply chain shortages.

The Roadster was due to be delivered for the first time in 2020. The second generation of Tesla’s first-ever vehicle has been plagued by setbacks due to battery constraints and other challenges, including the ramping of Tesla’s mass-market Model 3 and Model Y. Simply put, Tesla has a lot of projects in the pipeline, and the Roadster is not necessarily the most important element of the company’s goal to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy.

Tesla and Musk have remained relatively quiet regarding Roadster production, with the CEO’s last updates coming in early 2021 during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast. Musk highlighted his want for the Roadster to equip the cold-gas SpaceX thrusters that could make the vehicle hover and have insanely-fast 1.1-second 0-60 acceleration rate and white-knuckle performance. Due to the challenges with production and supply chain restrictions, there hasn’t been a set timetable for Tesla to release the Roadster.

Elon Musk details Tesla Roadster hovering capability with Joe Rogan

Advertisement

However, Musk tweeted on Wednesday that the Roadster could finally arrive in 2023, as long as 2022 doesn’t present massive bottlenecks in production. “Assuming 2022 is not mega drama, new Roadster should ship in 2023,” Musk said.

Advertisement

The supply chain shortages that have plagued much of the automotive industry have not affected Tesla as badly as other automakers. Tesla detailed its ability to develop 19 in-house microcontrollers that helped the company avert the massive shortage of semiconductor chips. This development has helped Tesla avoid lengthy production outages, keeping assembly lines rolling and increasing delivery and production figures through a tumultuous 2021.

The Roadster has been highly anticipated by many Tesla fans, especially those who earned the vehicle through the company’s Referral program. The vehicle is sure to turn heads with its lightning-fast 1.9-second 0-60 MPH acceleration rate. If Tesla can actually make the vehicle hover as it plans to, the company could be looking at one of the most revolutionary automotive inventions ever, although Musk has said that there will be a limitation on how long the vehicle will be able to “fly.” Regardless of its unconfirmed capabilities, the long-awaited Roadster could be here in less than two years if Musk’s calculations are correct.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, or be sure to email me at joey@teslarati.com or on Twitter @KlenderJoey.

Advertisement

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla ships new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints

Published

on

tesla-diner-supercharger
Credit: Tesla

Tesla is shipping a new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints, prompting drivers to be aware of those who might be impacted by excessive noise nearby.

Tesla is now rolling out a new location-specific “Quiet Charging Zone” that prompts drivers to lower their vehicle’s audio volume in an effort to make things comfortable for everyone, even those who are not Tesla owners.

This is an impactful feature that will resolve many complaints from those who are living nearby.

When a Tesla plugs into this Supercharger and its media volume exceeds a certain level, the vehicle’s central touchscreen displays a polite notification: “Could you turn the volume down? Please be mindful of our neighbors.”

Advertisement

Accompanying the message is a prominent “Lower” button. One tap automatically reduces the audio to a more considerate level. Physical “Quiet Charging Zone” signs posted at the station reinforce the request, creating a cohesive experience that blends digital nudges with on-site reminders.

This feature highlights Tesla’s unique advantages. Unlike traditional automakers, Tesla owns both the vehicle software and the charging infrastructure.

Engineers can detect the precise location via GPS, trigger context-aware prompts, and deploy changes fleet-wide in hours or days without recalls or dealer visits. No public release notes highlighted the change, suggesting it was a quiet, site-specific rollout designed to test effectiveness before potential expansion.

These are usually referred to as “Undocumented Changes.”

Advertisement

Beyond immediate noise reduction, the initiative underscores Tesla’s customer- and community-focused ethos. While EVs are inherently quieter than combustion-engine vehicles, auxiliary behaviors like loud infotainment can still create friction in dense cities. Tesla’s rapid response turns potential conflict into an opportunity to demonstrate thoughtful engineering.

As Tesla expands its Supercharger network, which is now open to other EVs in many places, features like location-based quiet modes could become standard tools for harmonious integration into neighborhoods.

Continue Reading

News

Ferrari unveils its Luce EV, and its reception has been a disaster

Published

on

Credit: Ferrari

Ferrari unveiled its Luce EV over the weekend, and so far, its reception has been an absolute disaster, gathering negative reactions from a wide variety of people, including former executives.

The stock even took a hit on its first day of trading following the unveiling, dropping over 7 percent at one point.

Ferrari moving to EVs from its traditional V12s and mid-engine sports cars is a massive move. It was designed by Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newsom’s LoveFrom studio, which is known for design work for tech giant Apple. “Luce” means “light” in Italian, so Ferrari drew inspiration for its name from its sleek design, characterized by a smooth, sculpted body with rounded edges.

But its reception has been far from what Ferrari expected. The overall design has drawn some harsh criticism since its reveal, and it is simply stunning that such a storied company, with a rich history of beautiful, powerful cars has revealed a design that many are not a fan of.

Advertisement

Responses to the design were widely negative, with some saying, “Enzo is rolling in his grave,” and “This looks like a Nissan LEAF with a bad body kit.”

Advertisement

Former Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo said:

“If I said what I really think, I’d harm Ferrari. We’re risking the destruction of a myth, I’m very sorry about that. I hope they at least remove the Prancing Horse from that car.”

Ferrari has scaled back EV commitments in the past, primarily in response to weaker-than-expected demand for its electric powertrains.

Priced at roughly $640,000 in the U.S., it is tough to see how this car will ever truly live up to the massive expectations many had for it. It almost feels like, to a certain extent, Ferrari is looking for a way to get out of building EVs.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla unveils juicy new detail on the Roadster and hints at new unveil timeline

Published

on

A red Tesla Roadster driving around a turn
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla unveiled a juicy new detail on the Roadster, its long-delayed supercar project, and additionally hinted at a new unveiling timeline, as it appears yet another month will pass without seeing the capabilities of the vehicle.

Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla, Lars Moravy, revealed on the Ride the Lightning podcast that the Roadster will be built at Gigafactory Texas, adding that “you’ll start to see a lot of things unfold in the next months.”

While we get a good detail on the plant of manufacture, we also get another letdown, as it appears the unveiling event will not take place in May, as CEO Elon Musk hinted during the Earnings Call.

The Roadster was first unveiled back in 2017, alongside the Semi, which entered production earlier this year. It was Tesla’s attempt at a true supercar; it would be rare, expensive, and lightning quick, among other incredible capabilities, like potentially hovering for a short period thanks to a collaboration project with SpaceX.

However, the vehicle was set to be delivered in 2020. Parts and supply chain issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic started these delays, and since then, Tesla, and specifically Musk, have wanted to push the capabilities of the Roadster to somewhere the human mind may not be able to currently comprehend.

Both Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen and Moravy have said many things about the Roadster over the past few years, hinting that the car truly could be worth the wait. However, the continuous delays we’ve seen have undoubtedly been discouraging.

Advertisement

With that being said, it’s not like Tesla has been doing nothing. Instead, the company has been focusing on revamping current models, phasing out others, and working on developing the cars of the future, specifically, the Cybercab, which entered production at Giga Texas in April.

Despite the Roadster’s delays, there is still a ton of anticipation for the vehicle to be released. It will have a steering wheel, as Musk said it will be “the best of the last of the human-driven cars.”

Continue Reading