Science

Tesla Next-Gen Roadster Spotted at Gigafactory, and It Looks Amazing

Tesla’s second-generation Roadster is going on something of a tour. The upcoming electric supercar, set to hit the roads in 2020, was spotted at the Nevada-based Gigafactory on Tuesday after a month of appearances around the country.

An Instagram user called Stephen Roth shared four images of the car on his personal page, demonstrating the under-development vehicle in a show area. The spotting comes just over a month after similar sightings at its Palo Alto headquarters and the Fremont test track.

The new model looks like it could turn heads all over again. With a 200 kilowatt-hour battery, the car can run for 620 miles on a single charge at highway speed. The new Roadster can reach a top speed of 250 miles per hour, accelerating from 0-60 in a world-record 1.9 seconds thanks to a Plaid mode — a reference to cult ‘80s movie Spaceballs. Pre-orders are live, and the company is asking for $50,000 to reserve the $200,000 vehicle.

Tesla Roadster at Gigafactory.

Stephen Roth/Instagram

The car, unveiled by CEO Elon Musk in November 2017 alongside the Tesla Semi electric truck, is set to improve on the original Roadster that launched in 2008. The new model has big boots to fill, with its predecessor both the first car produced by Tesla as well as the first all-electric car to travel more than 200 miles per charge.

Check out that sweet frunk!

Stephen Roth/Instagram

The original was also the first to enter space, after Musk said goodbye to his personal Roadster in February when it went into orbit on a SpaceX rocket.

Lookin' good.

Stephen Roth/Instagram

It’s not just the Roadster that Tesla has been testing. Prototype models of the semi truck due for launch in 2019 have been spotted around the company’s headquarters, with one driving past the UPS headquarters with a whisper quiet movement. Musk also shared images last week of two semi trucks ready for the open road.

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