Tesla starts global reservation period for Roadster, P350k fee for PH

MANILA: Tesla has globally announced the start of the reservation period for the upcoming Roadster high-performance all-electric vehicle. This, of course, includes the Philippine market, with a fully refundable reservation fee of P350,000. 

Interestingly, the Tesla Philippines website also mentioned that an additional P3.15 million will be due within 10 days. We can assume that one may still back out and give up their reservation slot, but the steep additional fee suggests an effort to create hype for this electric vehicle (EV) nameplate. 

On that note, this reminds us of the similar hype train Tesla has propagated when it was in the midst of developing the Cybertruck. 

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So, what’s so interesting about the Tesla Roadster? Well, for one thing, the reservation page on the official Tesla Philippines website mentions two “augments” that will be made available on the Roadster. 

First of these is the limited-release Thrust, touted to provide additional forward momentum via cold-gas thrusters mounted on the rear of the car. As Tesla claims, this enables the vehicle to accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in just one second. 

The more eyebrow-raising augment available for the Roadster is the “Rocket,” which is available through invitation only. And yes, it does exactly what it says on the tin: it can make the car fly using, again, cold gas thrusters. 

This feature was demonstrated by Tesla itself on its official YouTube channel a few days before it announced the vehicle's reservation period for the global market. The American marque says that this augmentation provides thrusters positioned around the vehicle, enabling it to perform forward and upward acceleration and rotational movement in the air. 

Do be aware, however, that Tesla itself has noted that the Roadster with the Rocket augmentation is not “approved for public road use.” 

On the other hand, Tesla did not share a detailed list of specifications. It was disclosed, however, that the vehicle uses lightweight materials like magnesium, titanium, and carbon fiber. It likewise features a “next-generation steer-by-wire system,” a selectable track mode, and active aero bits. 

Additionally, the Roadster with the Rocket augment will be a one-seat model, while the version with the Thrust augment will be a two-seat model. Lastly, the entry-level “non-augmented” Performance version will be a four-seater. 

So, do you think the Tesla Roadster will catch on in the local market?

Also read:

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