16 Years After Its Launch, the Tesla Roadster Evolves

A Texas-based company offers batteries for the Tesla Roadster that reduce weight and increase power.

The big news is of course not about replacing the Roadster’s batteries since Tesla has been offering that for a long time. If you have 40,000 Euros and 6 months to spare, you can refurbish your Roadster. The minimum for a vehicle that was revolutionary in its time and is set to become a highly sought-after collector’s item. But refurbished doesn’t mean better…

Instead of trying to repair the aging battery of the Roadster, re/cell, a Texas-based company, proposes to recycle it and replace it with an upgraded battery. This new pack is expected to enhance the car’s performance through a significant increase in power, but mainly by a substantial reduction in weight. The initiative is interesting as it puts into figures the evolution of battery technology over a decade and a half.

These replacement packs offer a slightly lower overall capacity, but the range remains unchanged at over 330 km. re/cell offers a model with a capacity of 47 kilowatt-hours, which is less than the 53 kWh of the original pack. The weight reduction, easily verifiable, is estimated at 125 kg, which is huge. Regarding power, however, there is some skepticism as re/cell announces a 33% increase to approach 300 horsepower. Thanks to technological advancements, energy is delivered more quickly and stably, allowing for increased power, but such a jump seems difficult for the propulsion unit to handle. A small 5% increase would already be significant.

It’s still not bad for an old vehicle, and a small lesson for skeptics who think that current electric cars will be obsolete in 3 years. The operation still costs $25,000 after American subsidies, but a Tesla Roadster is worth it!

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