Watch a Tesla Model S Race a Boeing 737
Reminder: the Tesla Model S is a very fast car.
With all the hype about Tesla’s new affordable Model 3, it’s easy to forget that Elon Musk’s electric cars were originally built to do one thing: go really, really fast.
The Model S offers a setting called “ludicrous” acceleration, as does the Model X. It also does 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, without burning a scrap of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, there isn’t an electric-only option to the Boeing 737, which burns a hell of a lot of fossil fuels, but Qantas wants to market itself as an environmentally-friendly airline, so racing one of their planes with a Model S seemed like the thing to do.
At the Model 3’s launch event, Musk remarked “At Tesla we don’t make slow cars.” The Tesla gets off to a much faster start than the Boeing 737, but the plane eventually catches up. 737s have a takeoff speed of about 150 miles per hour, while the Model S tops out at 130 miles per hour. Some drivers have speculated that without software regulations, the Model S could kick out an extra few MPH, but the main limitation is the Tesla’s electric motor’s maximum revolutions per minute. Still, it’s a pretty cool race while it lasts. Check out the full video below.
