Tesla Roadster Thrusters Offer Five Seconds of Boost, but Refills Take Hours
Tesla aims to reduce the current two-to-six-hour nitrogen refill time to under 30 minutes for the Thrust variant.
Tesla’s new Roadster features cold thrusters capable of delivering a brief burst of acceleration, but the system currently requires a significant amount of time to replenish its nitrogen supply. While the boost lasts for approximately five seconds, refilling the tanks can take between two and six hours.
What Happened
In a Top Gear walkaround video, Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy disclosed that the Roadster Thrust version’s 200-liter tank takes two to six hours to fill from an external high-pressure nitrogen supply. Moravy noted that the company plans to reduce this refill time to under 30 minutes. The Thrust variant includes four rear-facing boosters that occupy space otherwise available for luggage. For the invite-only Rocket version, which features 10 thrusters for airborne maneuvers, an additional 400-liter pressure vessel replaces the passenger seat, resulting in a single-seater configuration with 600 liters of total tank capacity. These cold thrusters release pressurized gas to propel the car forward without burning fuel or requiring additional tire grip.
Why It Matters
The disparity between the five-second boost duration and the multi-hour refill time highlights a practical limitation for owners interested in frequent use of the Roadster’s performance features. Additionally, there is a discrepancy between Moravy’s description of an external nitrogen supply and CEO Elon Musk’s previous claim that the vehicle could self-refill its air tanks without special propellant. Tesla has not yet explained how a self-refilling capability would integrate with the current nitrogen-based system. Meanwhile, the car’s downforce-generating fans operate independently on battery power, ensuring that grip improvements remain available even when the thruster tanks are depleted.
The Bottom Line
Tesla’s Roadster thrusters provide short-duration boosts powered by compressed nitrogen, with current refill times ranging from two to six hours. The company intends to cut this duration to under 30 minutes, while still needing to clarify the mechanics behind promised self-refilling capabilities.
