Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has grabbed attention by suggesting that the upcoming Tesla Roadster 2 might clock unprecedented acceleration speeds. Specifically, he has teased the electric sports car’s capability to surge from 0 to 60 mph (approximately 97 km/h) in less than a second.
However, in a surprising and down-to-earth commentary, Rimac Automobili’s Founder and CEO, Mate Rimac, has expressed his doubts about these assertions. Commenting on social media, Rimac indicated that while reaching such acceleration is theoretically feasible, it would demand an extraordinary level of torque—around 30,000 Nm at the wheels. He noted that the only conceivable way to achieve sub-second acceleration would be through the use of thrusters, which create a set of practical and technical challenges.
Beyond the issues of thruster-based acceleration, Rimac highlighted that the Roadster 2 would need to maintain a very light weight, aside from carrying the extra mass of tanks, compressors, and valves required for such a system. Plus, he contested the practicality of carrying such systems once the car has achieved its 0-100 km/h speed.
While Musk’s claims have sparked discussion, the official Tesla Roadster webpage has maintained its original performance statistics, including a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds. Moreover, another Tesla declaration that the Roadster will possess a range of 620 miles on a single charge has added further doubt to the sub-second acceleration claim, considering the considerable weight of Tesla’s battery systems.
In the current landscape of electric vehicles, acclaim goes to the AMZ Racing Mythen, a go-kart-sized EV that has recorded a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in 0.956 seconds. Following closely is the Rimac Nevera, which currently holds the title for the quickest acceleration in a production car, reaching the same speed in 1.85 seconds.
For automotive enthusiasts and collectors interested in the Tesla narrative, die-cast models of the Tesla Roadster are available on retail platforms like Amazon. Additionally, those interested in learning more about Tesla’s development and Elon Musk’s management can find biographic works by authors like Walter Isaacson also available online.
