Musk recently said he expects Tesla to finish designing and engineering the Roadster this year
Tesla
Tesla's forthcoming ">Roadster SpaceX Edition, armed with the optional SpaceX Package, could soon make its mark in the electric hypercar realm. The heart of this enhancement is SpaceX's rocket technology, resulting in cold air thrusters positioned around the vehicle for improved acceleration and handling. This addition will allow the supercar to reach a staggering 0-60 mph time of just 1.1 seconds, as confirmed by Elon Musk himself on Twitter.
Rimac Nevera's Unprecedented Hypercar Supremacy
However, while the Roadster SpaceX Edition is an impressive challenger, it is entering a field currently dominated by a formidable adversary: the Rimac Nevera. Born from Rimac Automobili, the Croatian manufacturer that has been pushing the boundaries of electric hypercars since 2009, the Nevera has become the reigning titan of electric hypercars.
The Nevera’s achievement is highlighted by its recent extraordinary performance, shattering an astonishing 23 records in a single day (video below). This feat included a rapid 0-60 mph acceleration time of 1.74 seconds (which is slower than the Roadster's projected time and only 2-tenths faster than the Model S Plaid).
However, the most astounding among these records was a 0-400 km/h (249 mph) acceleration time of just 21.31 seconds. With such an impressive performance, the Nevera is currently the fastest production car available, marking a new era in the electric vehicle industry. The test driver said he could've been eating ice cream while breaking these records - it was that easy!
However, such groundbreaking performance comes at a price. The Nevera is estimated to cost a whopping $2.4 million per unit, ten times more than the expected cost of a SpaceX Roadster. Rimac plans to produce only 150 of these record-breaking machines, the Roadster will also be produced in limited numbers. Despite its price, Rimac assures potential owners that the Nevera is more than a hypercar; it’s a potential record-breaker in their own hands.
Musk Teases a Potential Showdown
Following Nevera's remarkable performance, a Twitter user asked Elon Musk if the Roadster SpaceX Edition could topple Nevera's 0-60 mph time. Musk responded with a simple "lol," leaving EV enthusiasts in suspense. Is this cryptic response a sign of an impending challenge from Tesla? Could the Roadster, with its SpaceX Package, surpass the Nevera's record-breaking performance? Musk was just in the F1 Red Bull pits, perhaps he has the racing bug?
While it's too soon to provide definitive answers, this potential contest marks an exciting moment in electric hypercar performance. With its revolutionary technology, Tesla's Roadster SpaceX Edition could challenge the current hypercar hierarchy and redefine performance standards in the electric vehicle market.
Tesla’s Robotaxi event is coming up later today, and there’s lots of hype. It’s absolutely going to be a must-see event, so we’ve outlined how you can watch it tonight.
If you weren’t one of the lucky lottery winners who managed to snag a ticket, there are a few ways to watch the Robotaxi event.
When
Tesla says the event will start at 10 PM EST or 7 PM PST. However, expect it to start fashionably late as usual. The agenda Tesla has provided is below.
Watch Live
The event is expected to be available on X, YouTube, and Tesla’s website. The links for X and YouTube are below. We’ll update this as the day goes along and Tesla adds additional sources.
This is the agenda Tesla has provided. All times are PST.
3:00 PM: Parking Lot Opens
5:00 PM: Doors Open
5:30 PM: Check-In Begins
7:00 PM: Remarks
Watch in Tesla Showrooms
Tesla is also running events at its local showrooms worldwide. Many of these pop-up events have been organized by the Tesla showrooms or in conjunction with local Tesla Owner’s Club groups.
You can go to Tesla’s Events Page here and see if there are any showrooms open in your region. These events are in-person, and a good way to hang out with local Tesla fans and owners to watch one of the biggest events in Tesla’s history. If you don’t see an event listed, try calling your local Tesla showroom or contacting your local Owner’s Club. Other events may be running locally that you could attend.
Tesla’s Alex Guichet, Mobile App Engineer and Designer, posted on X that they are hiring a new C++ UI Engineer. According to Alex, this position will be focused on building the charging UI in Tesla vehicles.
While the charging UI received some basic updates back with the big Spring Update, it hasn’t really seen major changes in a long time. So, let’s take a look at what this position is exactly, and dig into what we’d like to see in the future.
Senior Software Engineer
The position that Tesla is hiring for is a Senior Software Engineer, Vehicle User Interface Charging – working out of Tesla’s Global Engineering Headquarters in Palo Alto, California. The position will be specifically responsible for the look and feel of the user charging experience, focusing on Tesla’s in-vehicle Infotainment UI.
Tesla expects the position to also work alongside business, product, engineering, and design teams to build simple, intuitive, and fluid user experiences.
That’s a broad job description, but Tesla pays well for what it offers – with the position starting at $120,000 a year, up to $210,000 a year. If you’re interested in the position, you can read more and apply here.
Charging Visualizations
Tesla’s current charging visualizations are fairly simple and to the point, both in the app and in the vehicle. Adding some flare to both visualizations would certainly be nice. If Tesla’s new parked visualization in AMD vehicles is any indication, we’re in for a treat with these upcoming visuals. Tesla could even add different visualizations depending on whether you’re charging with a Supercharger, Wall Connector, Mobile Charger, or a third-party charger.
Imagine if Tesla implements some of these visualizations directly into the vehicle’s visuals. You could pull up to a Supercharger and see them rendered directly on the screen and maybe even see how much each vehicle is charged, so you have a better idea of which stall will be available first.
We’d also love to see better and improved integration for Charge on Solar and PowerShare. There’s certainly a lot Tesla can do.
We’re excited to see the future of the charging UI but don’t expect these changes anytime soon since Tesla just started hiring for the position. However, it’s great to know where Tesla is headed and what they’re planning.