Tesla's ludicrous acceleration makes us question physics


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How on earth does an all electric sedan, weighing nearly 5,000 pounds, accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 2.28 seconds? 680 horsepower certainly helps, but would the same drivetrain setup in a lighter car mean an even quicker 0-60 time? Conventional logic clearly says that it would be, but there is another camp that argues a lighter car would not be able to put the power down due to less mechanical grip.

Engineering Explained is able to show that, while adding weight for traction can improve the acceleration of some two wheel drive setups, the all wheel drive Tesla does not benefit from the added weight, and a lighter version would always be faster. He even is able to show that the heavier car may have more grip, even with infinite power, it can never beat the lighter car because the increase in grip is not enough to make up for the increased mass resisting movement.

Related: Ludicrous+ Update Gives Tesla a New World Record 

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