Good news for car enthusiasts who liked Tesla before it was cool: The electric automaker is offering an upgrade for its prototype Tesla Roadster that will give the car an impressive 400-mile battery range.
No word yet on price, and Roadster owners have already shelled out upwards of $109,000 for their vehicles, according to Ars Technica. Tesla built around 2,600 Roadsters between 2008 and 2012.
"Battery technology has continued a steady improvement in recent years, as has our experience in optimizing total vehicle efficiency through Model S development," Palo Alto, Calif.-based Tesla said in a statement. "We have long been excited to apply our learning back to our first vehicle, and are thrilled to do just that with the prototype Roadster 3.0 package."
The original Roadster marked the first time that a lithium-ion battery was used in a production vehicle. Tesla has since developed a new cell with 31 percent more energy, allowing for a battery pack that delivers an estimated 70kWh.
Thanks to improved aerodynamics and reduced rolling resistance, Tesla projects a 40 to 50 percent improvement on range for the upgraded Roadster 3.0.
"There is a set of speeds and driving conditions where we can confidently drive the Roadster 3.0 over 400 miles," the automaker said. "We will be demonstrating this in the real world during a non-stop drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the early weeks of 2015."
As noted by Forbes, the two cities have city halls that are 381 miles apart.
Tesla plans to start upgrading Roadsters in the spring once the new battery pack passes safety regulations.
The automaker additionally hinted at future updates for its Roadster, which uses elements of the UK-built Lotus Elise.
"We are confident that this will not be the last update the Roadster will receive in the many years to come," Tesla said.
The 3.0 upgrade will allow the Roadster to outpace its successor. Equipped with the 85 kWh battery, Tesla's Model S gets around 300 miles per battery charge.
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