Rimac Validates Tesla Roadster's Ambitious Thruster Goals: A New Hypercar Benchmark?

By Kevin Armstrong
Roadster Vs Nevera Soon!
Roadster Vs Nevera Soon!
Not a Tesla App

The electric hypercar realm is witnessing the beginning of an unbelievable hypercar rivalry. Up for grabs is the fastest production car in the world, which is also electric. In one corner is the reigning, defending hypercar champion, Rimac’s Nevera. In the other corner is Tesla's forthcoming Roadster SpaceX Edition.

The Battle for Hypercar Hegemony

Elon Musk's late-night revelations earlier this week have promised a next-generation Roadster that defies conventional automotive norms, particularly with hints at rocket thruster-enhanced performance that will launch the car from 0-60 mph in less than one second. His posts caught much attention, including those of Mate Rimac, CEO of Rimac Automobili.

..it is possible with thrusters. We did the simulation… - Mate Rimac

Rimac is a pivotal figure in the hypercar world, renowned for blending high performance with electric propulsion. When asked about Tesla's audacious acceleration claim, he weighed in with a blend of technical insight and real-world pragmatism. His perspective is not just academic; it's grounded in the tangible realities of engineering and physics that govern high-performance vehicles.

Fast but Heavy, Light but “Slow”

Rimac acknowledged the feasibility of Tesla's target, citing thrusters as a viable means to surpass traditional acceleration benchmarks. However, he underscored the inherent trade-offs, noting the considerable weight of the necessary equipment—tanks, compressors, valves, and nozzles—that, while contributing to initial acceleration, become dead weight after that.

Rimac also points out another flaw: “Plus, the car has to be super light as otherwise, you can’t create a lot of excess downforce with the fans as the tires would be overloaded very fast with any kind of car with “normal supercar” weight, especially electric. And then again, you are carrying the weight with you when you are not doing 0-100. So thrusters are really the only way to go. But it brings a lot of downsides as well.”

Nevera, costing approximately $2.5 million, dominates the scene with more than 1,800 horsepower and its record-shattering performances, including an extraordinary 0-60 mph time of 1.74 seconds and a 0-400 km/h sprint in 21.31 seconds. When Nivera posted these incredible numbers, Musk was asked if the Roadster could beat the time and responded: lol.

Beyond the Numbers

Rimac's acknowledgment of the technical hurdles associated with Tesla's approach does not detract from the potential impact of the Roadster. Instead, it adds a layer of credibility to the discussion, grounding it in the realities of automotive engineering. It's a reminder that the quest for unparalleled acceleration involves balancing the thrill of speed with the practicalities of vehicle design and functionality.

This dialogue between Tesla and Rimac marks a significant moment in the EV industry. Tesla's pursuit of the ultimate performance EV with the new Roadster places it in direct conversation with Rimac. This company has consistently pushed the boundaries of what electric hypercars can achieve. The interaction underscores a broader theme in the automotive world: the relentless pursuit of innovation, where companies like Tesla and Rimac are not just competing but also learning from each other.

With both companies poised to innovate further and redefine what's possible, the rivalry between Tesla's Roadster and Rimac's Nevera is more than a contest of speed—it's a testament to the relentless pursuit of innovation that drives the electric vehicle industry forward. The Roadster is to start deliveries in 2025. Odds are the first place it will be is on the track beside a Nevera!

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Tesla LFP Batteries Can Now Be Warmed up While Supercharging Using Innovative Feature

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s been on a roll with Supercharger improvements lately, from the 325kW charging update for the Cybertruck, to 500kW with V4 Superchargers coming next year. While those improvements have been limited to the Cybertruck, Tesla didn’t put all their focus on their new flagship vehicle, but looked at their more affordable vehicles as well.

LFP Battery Heating

Tesla’s Superchargers can now heat LFP Batteries - those that are in the Model 3 and Model Y Rear Wheel Drive variants. This applies to Long Range and Standard Range models, which saw a limited run. This is another update included as part of the 2024 Tesla Holiday Update - which really arrived with a lot of unannounced new features and capabilities.

The change is pretty interesting - Superchargers of the V3 and V4 variety can now pre-heat batteries for Model 3 and Model Y vehicles equipped with LFP battery packs. That means those vehicles are able to get back on the road faster when it's extremely cold. Of course, Tesla still advises you to precondition before you arrive, saving drivers time and money.

Max de Zegher, Tesla’s Director of Charging, also commented on the new feature. Essentially, Tesla is inducing an AC (alternating) ripple current through the battery to warm it up. Keep in mind that Superchargers are DC charging. That means it is possible to get a cold-soaked LFP vehicle on the road 4x faster than before, assuming that it didn’t precondition at all and that it is in the worst-case scenario (below 0ºF).

In essence, Tesla is using some engineering magic to turn the circuits inside the LFP battery into an electric heater - and powering that heater through the Supercharger. An AC ripple current is a small oscillation in the DC charging current that generates heat through electrical resistance, warming up the battery. Those ripples are a byproduct of converting AC to DC and back - so Tesla is using the onboard charger to induce those ripples to warm up the battery. Definitely an innovative technique that’s really only possible with the versatility of the NACS connector.

We’re hoping Tesla can implement this across their full lineup of vehicles, but we’ll have to wait and see how it is trialed across LFP vehicles first and if it is even possible on vehicles with 2170 or 4680 battery packs.

Tesla Included FSD V12.6.1 and V13.2.4 in the Same Update: What Caused This and What It Means

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Tesla launched two FSD updates simultaneously on Saturday night, and what’s most interesting is that they arrived on the same software version. We’ll dig into that a little later, but for now, there’s good news for everyone. For Hardware 3 owners, FSD V12.6.1 is launching to all vehicles, including the Model 3 and Model Y. For AI4 owners, FSD V13.2.4 is launching, starting with the Cybertruck.

FSD V13.2.4

A new V13 build is now rolling out to the Cybertruck and is expected to arrive for the rest of the AI4 fleet soon. However, this build seems to be focused on bug fixes. There are no changes to the release notes for the Cybertruck with this release, and it’s unlikely to feature any changes when it arrives on other vehicles.

While this update focuses on bug fixes, Tesla’s already working on bigger features for FSD V13.3, which we have already confirmed to include improvements to highway following and speed control.

FSD V12.6.1

FSD V12.6.1 builds upon V12.6, which is the latest FSD version for HW3 vehicles. While FSD V12.6 was only released for the redesigned Model S and Model X with HW3, FSD V12.6.1 is adding support for the Model 3 and Model Y.

While this is only a bug-fix release for users coming from FSD V12.6, it includes massive improvements for anyone coming from an older FSD version. Two of the biggest changes are the new end-to-end highway stack that now utilizes FSD V12 for highway driving and a redesigned controller that allows FSD to drive “V13” smooth.

It also adds speed profiles, earlier lane changes, and more. You can read our in-depth look at all the changes in FSD V12.6.

Same Update, Multiple FSD Builds

What’s interesting about this software version is that it “includes" two FSD updates, V12.6.1 for HW3 and V13.2.4 for HW4 vehicles. While this is interesting, it’s less special when you understand what’s happening under the hood.

The vehicle’s firmware and Autopilot firmware are actually completely separate. While a vehicle downloading a firmware update may look like a singular process, it’s actually performing several functions during this period. First, it downloads the vehicle’s firmware. Upon unpacking the update, it’s instructed which Autopilot/FSD firmware should be downloaded.

While the FSD firmware is separate, the vehicle can’t download any FSD update. The FSD version is hard-coded in the vehicle’s firmware that was just downloaded. This helps Tesla keep the infotainment and Autopilot firmware tightly coupled, leading to fewer issues.

What we’re seeing here is that HW3 vehicles are being told to download one FSD version, while HW4 vehicles are being told to download a different version.

While this is the first time Tesla has had two FSD versions tied to the same vehicle software version, the process hasn’t actually changed, and what we’re seeing won’t lead to faster FSD updates or the ability to download FSD separately. What we’re seeing is the direct result of the divergence of HW3 and HW4.

While HW3/4 remained basically on the same FSD version until recently, it is now necessary to deploy different versions for the two platforms. We expect this to be the norm going forward, where HW3 will be on a much different version of FSD than HW4. While each update may not include two different FSD versions going forward, we may see it occasionally, depending on which features Autopilot is dependent on.

Thanks to Greentheonly for helping us understand what happened with this release and for the insight into Tesla’s processes.

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