Tesla Model S, a (G) Force to be Reckoned With

As we celebrate this July 4th weekend, it’s worth noting some remarkable media coverage bestowed on the Tesla Model S this past week.

However, when it comes to American cars, there is another speed demon, the Dodge Hellcat, engrossed in an ongoing rivalry with Tesla. After the Tesla P85D famously smoked the Hellcat in a drag race, Hellcat fans have pitched their case (somewhat weakly) of having superior acceleration capabilities. But, this week — Consumer Reports did some instrument testing to get to the bottom of this fierce debate. The results are astounding. See graph below.

Source: Consumer Reports

According to Consumer Reports, when testing the Tesla P85D, “we piled up more than a full G in less than a second. What is 'more than’ a full G, you ask? The application of one g-force on an object’s acceleration is the equivalent of a free-fall. To have this force—and then some—applied in less than a second is no different than being flung off a building. It is quite literally terminal velocity. And your brain reacts in exactly the same way – by retreating into a quivering ball in the darkest corner of your skull. Side effects may include dizziness and momentary panic… [and] Tesla had reached 30 mph in one and one-third seconds. That’s an unheard-of acceleration rate in a street-legal car.”

This video is a must-watch for any Tesla fan, enthusiast and owner — Tesla’s data findings during instrument testing are presented and further described in the video as “like an amusement park ride… that [feeling] is something that is not automotive” — check it out...

Source: Consumer Reports

In other news this week, the Tesla Model S just had the distinct honor of being named as one of the Top 10 Greatest American Cars of All Time by Motor Trend. 

Source: Motor Trend

Motor Trend explains: “The mere fact the Tesla Model S exists at all is a testament to innovation and entrepreneurship, the very qualities that made the American automobile industry the largest, richest, and most powerful in the world. We’ve not yet become a nation of bankers or burger-flippers. America can still make things. Great things. But what marks the Tesla Model S as one of the all-time great American cars is that it has single-handedly changed the tenor of the conversation about electric vehicles. The Model S made electric cars cool for auto enthusiasts. How? It's good-looking and fast. In fact, with 0-60 mph taking just 3.2 seconds, it is the quickest American sedan ever built."

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Source: Consumer Reports / Motor Trend