Tesla reveals new battery pack

Tesla has upgraded its Roadster with the 3.0 battery package. The carmaker claims the package increases the distance the car can travel on a single charge by nearly two-thirds, which is more than 644km. Tesla says it will showcase the car’s enhanced mile-munching prowess on a drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles in early 2015.

The Roadster was the first car produced by Tesla, and was discontinued in January 2012. The new 3.0 package on the Roadster gives it a new lithium-ion battery with a capacity of around 70 kWh. It is of the same size as the original battery but can store 31 percent more energy. Along with battery, Tesla has also equipped the Roadster with new wheel bearings and low rolling resistance tyres. The Roadster can also be fitted with an optional aero kit that reduces the drag coefficient from 0.36 to 0.31.

As and when Tesla begins rolling out the new battery pack, it won’t be wrong to expect the upgrade to eventually make it to the Model S and also its upcoming crossover, the Model X.