Imagine Stopping Together
The hotly-anticipated Tesla Cybertruck is finally here, offering us an opportunity to cast aside speculative estimations and gain insight into what it can do in the actuality. We witnessed the angular, utilitarian vehicle win a drag race against a Porsche 911 while dragging the same car alongside. Now, a more typical comparison against a similar model is in order; Tesla’s unpredecented confrontation with GMC Hummer EV at their Gigafactory based in Austin, Texas.
Carwow’s Mat Watson was one of the few journalists to be bestowed the honour of trying out Tesla’s eagerly awaited pickup. He went further than just that, however, as he also took his Hummer along for a thrilling drag race. Both were the highest variants equipped with three electric motors; both are two of the most weighty cars on sale too, with the former having a mass of 6,843 pounds (3,104 kg) while the latter is an unbelievable 9,061 lbs (4,110 kg).
In spite of having the most formidable combustion engines available, these behemoth trucks would still struggle to offer head-turning acceleration because of their daunting weight. Here is when the instantaneous torque of an electric motor excels, allowing the hulking vehicles to speed off decidedly fast. The Cyberbeast yields a substantial 686 lb-ft (930 Nm) while the Hummer packs an immense 1,095 lb-ft (1,485 Nm). Conversely, the Tesla displays a lower horsepower of 845 hp as opposed to 1,014 hp; nevertheless, it makes up for the discrepancy with its much lower dry weight.
The Hummer was completely outrun in any of the sprint tournaments, and again in the consecutive roll races. Despite having five persons inside to add more burden on the GMC, it still could not stay ahead. It’s worth drawing attention to that the Tesla van had initially got the firmware installed for the dual-motor type which confined peak velocity to 180 km/h, yet an upgrade unlocked a full tri-motor design with 209 km/h as its highest level. The Cybertruck showed here is really a pre-manufacturing prototype, however Tesla affirm that the customer variants will match this extraordinary execution.
In spite of its heavier weight, the GMC emerged victorious in a single contest in the end. Surprisingly, the GMC trumped Mazda MX-5 Miata’s brake test from 70 mph (113 km/h) to a full stop, which is particularly remarkable in light of the noticeable difference in mass between the two vehicles. Given that this was a prototype, it could be probable that its Cyberbeast brakes were not rigorously maintained; thus leading to the unexpected result.
Source: Carwow / YouTube