Tesla · Roadster

Roadster 2

Released July 2009

The 2009 update to Tesla's two-seat electric sports car, with a revised cabin and an optional Sport motor and adjustable suspension.

Model history · 2 models, 2008–2009

2008Roadster (2008)Compare
2009Roadster 2

Body: Convertible
Powertrain: Electric
Power: –
Range: –
Boot: –

Electric

What reviewers say

MotorTrend and Winding Road praise the Sport's immediate acceleration and improved cabin refinement. Both find compromises in its handling; MotorTrend wanted clearer steering feedback at the limit, while Winding Road found the ride harsh on rough roads and parking effort high. MotorTrend reports over 200 miles in normal driving, but considers the price difficult to justify.

From motortrend.com and windingroad.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Performance

Powertrain: Electric
Engine or motors: Air-cooled AC induction motor with variable-frequency drive, rated at 375 V and 14,000 rpm. Tesla's hosted 2.0 manual lists 248 HP (185 kW) without a separate Sport rating; contemporary MotorTrend and Winding Road Sport tests describe 288 hp. The conflicting power figures are not combined into a single rating.
Torque: Tesla's 2.0 manual lists 277 lb-ft (376 Nm) without distinguishing the Sport; MotorTrend's exact Sport test reports 273 lb-ft for the standard car and 295 lb-ft for Sport.
Gearbox: Single-speed fixed reduction with an electrically actuated parking lock; overall final-drive ratio 8.27:1. Reverse uses the motor turning in the opposite direction.
Drive: Rear-wheel drive. Sport adds adjustable damping and anti-roll bars; the standard car uses independent unequal-length wishbones with coil springs and telescopic dampers.

Practicality

Body: Convertible
Seats: 2
Length: 3,946 mm
Weight: From 1,235 kg
Towing: Trailer towing is not permitted.
Size: Width 1,851 mm including mirrors; height 1,127 mm at mid-laden weight; wheelbase 2,351 mm. The manual's 1,235 kg kerb weight excludes occupants and cargo; mid-laden figures include two 75 kg occupants.
Release and generation details: Tesla reported in July 2009 that deliveries of the 2010-model-year Roadster and Sport had begun that month. A later filing describes a June 2009 launch; the actual-delivery statement supports July here. Right-hand-drive deliveries followed in January 2010, according to Tesla’s annual filing.

Range and charging

Range detail: Tesla's July 2009 delivery announcement quotes an estimated 244 miles per charge, not WLTP. Its contemporary standard-car claim is 0–60 mph in 3.9 seconds; the Sport announcement quotes 3.7 seconds. These are not 0–62 mph figures.
Charging: Proprietary AC charging connection. The exact 2.0 manual lists charge times at 70 A/240 V of 4 hours in Standard mode or 4.5 hours in Range mode; at 13 A/240 V, 18 or 20 hours respectively. The lithium-ion battery contains 6,831 cells.
CO2 emissions: No tailpipe emissions.

Tech and safety

Infotainment: Centre-console touchscreen for vehicle and charging information; its position and the push-button transmission selector distinguish the revised cabin from the earlier car.
Driver assistance: Anti-lock braking and traction control. Rack-and-pinion steering has no power assistance, as described in both period road tests.

Pros and cons

Pros

Sport adds a higher-torque motor and adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars.
Revised seats, quieter cabin and improved heating and air conditioning.
Single-speed rear-wheel-drive powertrain with regenerative braking.

Cons

Two seats, unassisted steering and no permitted trailer towing.
AC charging through a proprietary connector; charging time depends strongly on the supply.

Closest rivals

Model	Body	Powertrain	Power	Range	Boot	Released
TeslaRoadster (2008)	Convertible	Electric	248 bhp	–	–	Feb 2008
TeslaRoadster 2.5	Convertible	Electric	288 bhp	–	–	Jul 2010
MazdaMX-5	Convertible	Petrol	130–181 bhp	–	130 l	Aug 2015

Previous model: Roadster (2008). Newer model: Roadster 2.5.

Sources

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