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Tesla: We’re Making a New 2015 Roadster, Plus 3-Series Beaters

 
3,144 views Oct 27, 2011
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Taken in Bristol, UK. Photograph taken by Phil Bambridge. Used with Permission.

Taken in Bristol, UK. Photograph taken by Phil Bambridge. Used with Permission.

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Tesla’s first electric car, the 2007-2011 Roadster, may have ceased production after its planned 2,500 (ish) car production run, but the Tesla Roadster will live on in an all-new car for 2014, Tesla has confirmed.

In an interview with Autocar, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed what we already suspected: that an all-new 2015 Tesla Roadster would come to market some time in 2014. 

The news is hardly surprising. After all, Tesla has already detailed how it plans to use the chassis and power train from its 2012 Model S luxury sedan to spawn a whole new range of vehicles, including the Model X Crossover SUV, a van, and a cabriolet.


But the new roadster won’t be based on the Model S platform. Instead, it is most likely going to be built on a brand-new platform produced by shortening the existing Model S chassis.

2012 Tesla Model S beta vehicle, Fremont, CA, October 2011

2012 Tesla Model S beta vehicle, Fremont, CA, October 2011

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And that shortened chassis, which Musk called a “Third generation platform”, will also give rise to a new range of mass-market [read affordable] cars which will go head-to-head with cars from mainstream automakers. 

“This platform will spawn a range of cars in the next four to five years,” Musk told Autocar. “It’ll be a more mass-market platform for cars like a 3-series as well as the new Roadster. These cars will supplement the Model S range.”

In other words, Tesla is determined to break out of the niche market and into the mainstream auto industry in the next five years. 

And with Tesla’s expansive former NUMMI factory currently operating at just a tiny fraction of its potential capacity, the firm certainly has the potential to simultaneously produce many different models at capacities to rival many other mainstream automakers. 

There’s no word on what we can expect from Tesla’s reborn 2015 Roadster, nor is there any indication of cost. But given the 300+ mile capability of its 2012 Model S Sedan, as well as its sporty sub 4.5 second 0-60 time, we can expect the 2015 Tesla Roadster to feature both excellent performance and impressive range. 

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Comments (13)

  1. James Davis avatar James Davis Posted: 10/27/2011 4:26am PDT

    I take back what I said about Nissan; maybe we won't be getting all our electric cars from them. I am really glad Tesla is coming out of the shadows, but I'm going to miss that roaster. Now, we will have two automakers we can depend on.
     
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  2. fb_100002544459353 avatar Ramon Leigh Posted: 10/27/2011 8:53am PDT

    Right up the alley of von Holtzhausen, stylist for the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, and now penning Tesla designs.
     
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  3. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/27/2011 11:24am PDT

    just what we need - another article about tesla is GONNA do. this is about the 3rd or 4th car that is gonna come out after the model s, which has not come out yet.
     
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  4. CDspeed avatar CDspeed . Posted: 10/27/2011 8:12pm PDT

    Wasn't Coda GONNA build an affordable electric car for the masses????
     
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  5. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/27/2011 9:22pm PDT

    for what it has, it competes with the leaf. it is still a car that the masses would buy. tesla talks a lot and does a little. that is just what musk is like - someone who needs to be in the limelight. i mean he hasnt even produced the model s, and this is now the 3rd car or so that tesla is GONNA MAKE.

    i have lived enough life to know the difference in who is worth listening to, and who is not. and big talkers are seldom worth it. i mean if anyone is a typical hollyweird entertainer, musk fits it to a tee.

    as a company, coda is completely the opposite. i still think they have tons of potential. i have no ties whatsoever with them. i simply look at their actions - cuz actions are what is very telling in most cases.
     
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  6. CDspeed avatar CDspeed . Posted: 10/28/2011 3:57pm PDT

    It's really no big deal to talk future models, as for Musk he seems like he wants to succeed in the electric car industry, yeah he's a big talker but the only way to tell if it's all talk is to just wait and see if it all comes true. The only reason I pointed out Coda is that they too have made promises they haven't kept. We no matter what we think of the company and their CEOs should just hope they make electric cars that really do the electric car justice and put as many of them out there as possible.
     
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  7. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/28/2011 6:28pm PDT

    cd, it isnt about promises not kept, per se.

    musk has deliberately deceived several cities. his actions have shown that you can not trust his intentions.

    coda, on the other hand, has missed deadlines, just as nissan has. but there is no evidence to suggest that coda has any other intentions other than what they have stated.

    musk is a big talker, and someone who seems to always look for ways of attracting money. it would not surprise me in the slightest little bit, if his real goal is to make the company more highly desired by an investor - i.e. more money coming to musk.

    it is one thing to fail on a goal. it is another to present a goal and have no intention of attaining it. i dont believe musk any further than i can throw him.
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  8. Roy_H avatar Roy Harvie Posted: 10/30/2011 8:27pm PDT

    EV Enthusiast "musk has deliberately deceived several cities. his actions have shown that you can not trust his intentions."

    Elon Musk did not "deliberately deceive..." plans change. Tesla went through several options and changes, including having a design center in Pontiac Michigan for a while, and re-assessed plant locations. Numi just kinda landed in his lap, and anyone would have been a fool not to take it at that bargain price.
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  9. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/27/2011 9:25pm PDT

    just look at how accurately i have pinned down gm. almost to a note. they are tied to big oil, came out with a car with the intention of keeping oil afloat for as long as possible.

    and just as i stated from the beginning - they would have to take both feet out of its mouth and start producing evs if they wanted to stay alive.

    and it is EXACTLY what is happening.

    if tesla wants to produce an ev bmw, that is okay. but just do it, and stop talking about the next dozen cars that they plan to make.

    i dont trust the motives of musk, because he has already demonstrated how untrustworthy he is. and every time he opens his mouth about some new car, he just furthers that distrust.
     
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  10. fb_100003309370677 avatar fb_100003309370677 Posted: 2/15/2012 11:40pm PST

    Elon sold Paypal for around $2 billion and the current worth of Paypal is around $30 billion. Obviously, Elon doesn't talk big enough!
     
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  11. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/27/2011 9:29pm PDT

    and if coda starts talking about the next dozen cars that it is gonna make before its sedan goes on sale, i will be negative towards that, as well. and very much surprised.

    i do hope it is able to meet its december deadline, since it has already missed the last 2 target dates. i guess we will know in about 4-6 weeks.
     
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  12. jeffhre avatar Jeff Hre Posted: 10/27/2011 5:53pm PDT

    "And with Tesla’s expansive former NUMMI factory currently operating at just a tiny fraction of its potential capacity, the firm certainly has the potential to simultaneously produce many different models at capacities to rival many other mainstream automakers."

    Well, yeah, the with the Tesla (former NUMMI) Factory; AND all the other billions of "things" it takes to put out a new car line.
     
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  13. Roy_H avatar Roy Harvie Posted: 10/30/2011 8:16pm PDT

    I hope it is a little bigger, more like the size of the Corvette, and 4-wheel drive. Tesla should really make this car a high performance sports car, not just 0-60 but cornering and high speed.
     
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