0-60 in the time it takes to toss your cookies

There is a strange and wonderful thing going on in the car business. Horsepower and torque are going up and fuel consumption and emissions are going down. The cost of an automotive thrill ride parked in your garage is wonderfully affordable. Today you can buy a 2018 Dodge Demon with 808 HP for $86K. Let’s face it, it is a great time to be a car nut.   

In the early days of my career, I was an engine development engineer. In my opinion, the people working on internal combustion engines these days are nothing short of magicians. Turning to EVs, consider electric vehicles equipped with eMachines (electric motors) have almost instantaneous torque. As a result, premium and exotic versions are pounding down some incredible performance. How much fun is that? 

I like the thrill just as much as the next person, however I have to ask a fundamental and unpopular question. Now that torque per dollar is at an all-time high, how quick is quick enough?

Now that torque per dollar is at an all-time high, how quick is quick enough?

I met a lady last month that owns a Tesla Model S with “Ludicrous” mode. When I asked her how she liked her car, she went out of her way to tell me she had the Ludicrous feature to help justify her purchase. “Wow, great. Do you use it?”, I asked. “No, not really. Its uncomfortable”, she said. I’ve driven it too—and it is impressive but would I like to drive in this mode more than once? Not really. Luckily for Tesla, the human body that owns Ludicrous mode usually gives up well before the limit systems restrict performance for the car’s (not the human’s) self-preservation.

Let’s get academic for a moment. If you fell out of an airplane and you were shaped to create minimal drag, (e.g. terminal velocity not an issue) you would accelerate from 0-60mph in about 2.7 seconds. 

So, if gravity goes 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds, which cars can go faster than gravity? 

·       Bugatti Chiron and Veyron: 2.5 seconds.

·       Porsche 918 Spyder: 2.5 seconds.

·       Ariel Atom V8: 2.5 seconds.

·       Tesla Model S P100D w/ Ludicrous: 2.4 seconds.

·       Dodge Challenger SRT Demon:  2.3 seconds.

…just to name a few. (stated Manufacturer times)

What about the electric cars that have been announced as coming to the market?

·       Rimac Concept Two: 1.9 seconds.

·       Tesla Roadster 2.0: 1.9 seconds.

I get that all of these cars are fast dream machines that people are willing to pay top dollar to own. I have no problem with that and in fact, I would not mind owning some of them myself. However, the rationale gets a little muddier when looking at the new world order of autonomous cars. 

Many of the ‘new age car companies’ who are predicting the euphoria which comes from autonomous transport, are also claiming cutting edge 0-60 accelerations as well. What is the point of accelerating so fast in an autonomous car which is just taking me from point A to point B in my urban environment?

What is the point of accelerating so fast in an autonomous car which is just taking me from point A to point B in my urban environment?

I recently spoke to a CEO of one of these companies and asked that very question. The answer was a bit lofty and had a vague reference to engineering prowess. I understood the answer but it was not entirely satisfying until the deeper meaning hit me: 

The ultimate reason an urban-jungle-fighting autonomous car needs this acceleration is not for the person riding in the car but rather for the would-be investor of the company itself. In this age of information, sound bites and tweets, automotive companies’ claims of 0-60mph times have become the short-form surrogate for what was once a long list of performance specs. Promises of acceleration are sexy and draw big dreams and hopefully deep pockets.

I work for a luxury electric car company and the car we make and sell today performs well but isn’t one of these horizontal rocket ships. This article isn’t meant to criticize the companies which are making or are promising cars that are quicker than our product. I admire their performance while I fully support our performance story for our target market. In short, I am not against the actions of the other EV or internal combustion engine companies. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats.

My point is that we should all look around and realize that we are in a new automotive golden age. Internal combustion is incredibly powerful and efficient these days, and now EVs are anxious to show them up for either the love of speed and/or the love of investment money. Either way, we all win.