The Tesla Roadster 2022 is shaping up to be one of Tesla’s most impressive cars to date. But the latest word is it may be a little too impressive to believe, with claims the electric car may be able to hit 0-60 mph in 1.1 seconds.
This is according to Elon Musk, who was asked about this particular rumor on Twitter, and claimed that yes, the Roadster can hit 60mph in 1.1 seconds. That's provided you have the “SpaceX rocket thruster package” first.
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Without the SpaceX rocket thruster package, the second gen Roadster is looking at a 0-60 time of 1.9 seconds. That’s roughly the same as the Tesla Model S Plaid, which is now expected to arrive in June.
Yes, with the SpaceX rocket thruster option package. It will be safe, but very intense. Probably not wise for those with a medical condition – same as a hardcore roller coaster.May 20, 2021
It all sounds pretty unbelievable. 1.1 seconds is basically nothing, and the comparisons to a rollercoaster are probably pretty apt. Though somehow we doubt that Elon will have been allowed to add rockets to the new Roadster, something he claims to have thought about in the past.
Not saying the next gen Roadster special upgrade package *will* definitely enable it to fly short hops, but maybe … Certainly possible. Just a question of safety. Rocket tech applied to a car opens up revolutionary possibilities.November 19, 2017
I can’t imagine any world governments will let Musk let his cars “fly short hops” or power themselves with literal rockets. Clearly that was a joke, or just another case of Elon forgetting Twitter isn’t really a tool for brainstorming crazy ideas.
In any case it’s worth noting that the 0-60 in 1.1 seconds wouldn’t really be 0-60 in that short space of time. Not if Tesla is measuring that speed the same way it measures acceleration on its current line-up. Instead of acceleration from the starting point, Tesla measures acceleration after the first foot of travel — a system also used in drag racing.
It even says as much on the Tesla website, and Engineering Explained has a video breaking this system down. But, in simple terms, if the Roadster manages to reach six miles per hour in a single foot, Tesla ends up measuring the 6-60 acceleration time.
That’s not to say doing that in 1.1 seconds isn’t impressive, just not as impressive as actually hitting that speed from a complete stop.
Production on the Tesla Roadster is set to begin in early 2022, and is tipped to be able to reach up to 620 miles of range on a single charge. Top speed is expected to be around the region of 250 mph.
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