Tesla's new Roadster has officially been unveiled, with its technical approach far exceeding previous market expectations. The car features a dedicated 4680 battery, a dual-motor rear-wheel-drive system, active ground-suction fans, and cold gas thrusters derived from SpaceX technology. The most aggressive version claims a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of just 0.55 seconds and a limited ability to hover off the ground.
Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy, in an interview with the Hagerty channel on the 16th, disclosed the core technical details of the car in a systematic manner for the first time. He revealed that the new Roadster ultimately abandoned the all-wheel-drive approach in favor of a dual-motor rear-wheel-drive layout, with the two motors delivering a combined output exceeding 1 megawatt (approximately 1,341 horsepower) and torque surpassing 1,400 Newton-meters. "Putting all that torque behind you creates a very direct, emotionally rich driving experience," he said. He stated that the vehicle's target weight will be slightly under 1,700 kilograms, a significant reduction compared to the 2,000-kilogram proposal once considered during development.
The new Roadster will initially launch in three versions, with pricing yet to be announced. The product lineup starts with the Performance version, which features the full powertrain and ground-suction fans, achieving a 0 to 60 mph time of approximately 1.6 seconds. The Thrust version adds cold gas thrusters, reducing the same metric to 0.85 seconds (excluding rollout). The top-tier Rocket version replaces the passenger seat with a 400-liter high-pressure nitrogen tank, becoming a single-seat vehicle, and claims a further reduced acceleration time of 0.55 seconds along with a brief hovering capability.
Dual-Motor RWD and Custom 4680 Battery
Lars Moravy stated that abandoning all-wheel drive was a deliberate choice rather than a compromise. "Although there are only two motors, their power and torque actually exceed those of Plaid (the three-motor version), yet they are packaged into a more compact assembly." The two motors independently drive the rear wheels through an 8.4:1 planetary gear set, and the absence of a differential allows independent control of each side, which is why the rear tires are made exceptionally wide and thick.
The battery pack is also one of the car's core highlights. Tesla developed a custom 4680 cell specifically for the Roadster, changing the casing material from conventional steel to aluminum to balance weight reduction and thermal conductivity. The top cover plate uses titanium, with different thicknesses of material laser-welded together to further control weight. In terms of thermal management, the battery pack adopts a double-sided cooling design, with coolant flowing through in a single pass rather than recirculating, to maintain a more uniform heat flux distribution. The goal is to keep power output stable across the vast majority of driving conditions, with virtually no perceptible performance degradation.
The battery system operates at approximately 800 to 1,000 volts, similar to the technical pathway of the Cybertruck and Semi. Officially claimed range exceeds 300 miles (approximately 483 kilometers), with a fast-charging target of going from 15% to 80% in about 10 minutes. The specific battery capacity has not been disclosed. Lars Moravy said the design goal is to support a driver in running 25 to 30 minutes continuously on a track, then quickly recharging and immediately heading out for another session.
Active Aerodynamics: Ground-Suction System Compensates for Low-Speed Blind Spots
Beyond traditional aerodynamic design, the new Roadster introduces an active ground-suction system, which is also one of the most groundbreaking aspects of its technical approach.
Lars Moravy explained that at speeds exceeding 200 mph (approximately 322 km/h), the vehicle can generate aerodynamic downforce equivalent to twice its own weight, but the wings are limited in effectiveness below about 50 mph (approximately 80 km/h). To fill this gap, Tesla placed four fans underneath the car, each rated at approximately 20 kilowatts, working in conjunction with four independently retractable skirts to actively suck the body toward the ground. "Even before the wings come into play, the car can sustain more than 2g of lateral acceleration in corners," he said.
These fan motors are derived from the high-voltage compressor motors in Tesla's heat pump system. During high-speed straight-line driving, the front and rear skirts open simultaneously, and the fans forcibly extract airflow from underneath, further enhancing the active aerodynamic effect. The skirts themselves are replaceable wear items made from a combination of rubber and nylon bristles, positioned as track-only components.
The body is covered with multiple movable aerodynamic panels, including flaps inside the front lip spoiler that can rotate up to 80 degrees, fender louvers that can extend outward, and active cooling vents on top. Lars Moravy described the entire front area as "a giant wing surface composed of about five different surfaces working together." The rear wing actuator is directly borrowed from the leg actuators of the Optimus humanoid robot, with an added braking mechanism to maintain the specified posture.
SpaceX Cold Gas Thrusters: Nitrogen-Powered, Maximum Thrust Near 90 Kilonewtons
The most closely watched feature of the new Roadster comes from the cold gas thruster (CGT) system jointly developed with SpaceX.
The system uses high-pressure nitrogen as its working fluid, stored in carbon-fiber-wound composite pressure vessels, with operating pressures reaching up to 10,000 pounds per square inch (approximately 689 bar). Explaining the choice of nitrogen, Lars Moravy said, "Adding fuel that needs to burn into a car just doesn't feel quite right," noting that nitrogen is non-toxic, non-flammable, and consistent with the technical approach of spacecraft attitude control systems.
The Thrust version carries a 200-liter tank, with four thrusters arranged at the rear, delivering maximum thrust exceeding 80 kilonewtons—equivalent to the single-engine thrust of a typical fighter jet—helping achieve the 0.85-second acceleration time while generating more than 5g of longitudinal acceleration. The top-tier Rocket version builds on this by replacing the passenger seat with a 400-liter tank, bringing total gas storage to 600 liters and increasing the number of thrusters to six—one at each corner of the body, plus two additional thrusters at the front for yaw correction—with total thrust approaching 90 kilonewtons and supporting brief hovering flight. Lars Moravy said the flight demonstration for this version is intended to prove that "flying cars really do exist."
The limitation of the propulsion system is that as the tank gas is consumed, thrust output gradually diminishes, which is fundamentally different from combustion-based systems. Currently, fully filling the 600-liter tank takes 6 to 7 hours; Tesla is developing a rapid inflation system with a target of reducing that time to about half an hour. The valve design primarily comes from SpaceX, but the actuator motors and actuation mechanisms are provided by Tesla, reflecting the division of labor between the two companies on this system.
Cabin Design and Production Progress
The cabin layout is centered on the driver. The seat base is fixed, with driving position adjusted through a movable pedal box, and the backrest angle is adjustable. The central screen always faces the driver, and a set of slim screens is embedded at the base of the windshield. The steering wheel features an unconventional design, continuing the aircraft-inspired style of the overall cabin. The vehicle is also equipped with brake-by-wire and steer-by-wire systems.
Lars Moravy revealed that four to five prototype vehicles are currently in development, with plans to build a larger-scale test fleet early next year. The vehicle's target weight is slightly under 1,700 kilograms, with final figures still being confirmed. The base version is still in development, and the current product lineup starts with the Performance version. Regarding pricing, Tesla has not yet announced pricing information for any version.
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