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Tesla Roadster’s rocket propulsion explained

Tesla's ambitious jet system for its first electric sports car will produce even more ludicrous performance figures, according to a new video.


A new video by a popular automotive YouTube channel has gone to lengths to work out how Tesla’s proposed rocket propulsion system may work on its upcoming Roadster electric sports car.

The video, posted by channel Engineering Explained, discusses how Tesla’s ‘SpaceX’ option – which sees the Roadster’s rear seats removed in favour of a large tank with highly-pressurised air inside, able to vent pressure to 10 jets located on the car’s exterior – might affect performance figures.

Working from the assumption the Roadster will be able to fly – or at least float – which, yes, Elon Musk has implied in a Tweet before, the host determines the minimum force the thrusters could generate to be 20,000 newtons.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The new Roadster will actually do something like this <a href="https://t.co/fIsTAYa4x8">https://t.co/fIsTAYa4x8</a></p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1083095876392964096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Adding this thrust to the vehicle’s theoretical 0-60mph (0-97km/h) sprint time of 1.9 seconds (at an average force of 1.44 g), the total acceleration force is increased to 2.5 g, bringing the 0-97km/h time down to just 1.1 seconds.

Further to acceleration figures, Engineering Explained also calculates braking figures using the same principles. The Tesla Roadster’s braking distance from 97km/h to stopped with help from jet propulsion is calculated at just 14 metres, according to the video.

By comparison, the Porsche GT2 RS takes 27m to stop from 97km/h.

Though, as the video’s host points out, how much compressed air the Roadster could carry – and thus how long its thrusters could operate at this rate – would be limited by the weight of the system, making it unlikely the vehicle would use the system to aid in handling.

Whether the Roadster gets the SpaceX option and performs how the video calculates it will won't be answered anytime soon.

Tesla announced last month it would hold off on Roadster production to focus on its Cybertruck, and more recently said it would ramp up production on its first commercial vehicle, the Semi.

Watch Engineering Explained's video below


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