Tesla Roadster thrusters: 0 to 100 in under one second

Tesla says its new Roadster goes from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 60 mph) in under one second. Even the fastest cars need nearly two. The claim is Tesla's own number, and the interesting part is how the car is meant to get there.

The grip limit

A normal car can't do it, and the reason is simple. Tires can only push as hard as they grip. Ask for more and they spin.

So the tires set the ceiling. You can add power, but past that point the extra power just turns into wheelspin. To go quicker, the car needs more grip or a push that doesn't depend on the tires at all. The Roadster is described as doing both.

Trick 1: fans and downforce

The first part is more grip. Fans pull the air out from under the car. With less air under it, the air outside presses the car down onto the road.

That downward pressure is downforce. More force on the tires means more grip, and more grip means the tires can deliver a harder push before they slip.

This still works through the tires, though. It raises the ceiling, but the ceiling is still there.

Trick 2: cold gas thrusters

The second push is where the tires stop being the limit. Cold gas thrusters at the back of the car blast squeezed air out, like a balloon you let go.

The important detail is what they push against. The thrusters push on the air, not the road. Grip has no say in that force, so it can add to what the tires deliver without being capped by them.

Put the two together and you get the shape of the claim. Downforce lets the tires push harder. Thrusters add a push the tires never have to carry.

What to take from it

Treat the sub-second figure as what it is, a number from Tesla. Musk says you can buy one in 2028, so independent numbers are a way off.

The reel ends with an interview question. How would you explain this in an interview? A clean answer follows the same order as above. Name the grip limit, then downforce for more grip, then thrusters pushing on the air instead of the road. Try saying it out loud in under a minute, and watch for the interview answer we're posting tonight.