At Avalon Airport in Melbourne, Australia, two titans of technological innovation squared off.
Cheetah versus falcon. Automobile versus aircraft. A Tesla Model S P90D versus a Qantas Boeing 737-800.
The April 2 race was organized to promote Tesla and Qantas’ new partnership “to drive innovation for their customers and sustainability in the transport industry.”
“What better way to celebrate working together than having a unique race—car versus plane,” said Alan Milne, Qantas’ Head of Environment and Fuel, in an April 3 press release.
From 0-60 mph in around three seconds, the Tesla Model S is the “quickest four door car ever built,” noted Qantas. The plane, however, boasts two CFM international jet engines that can provide 52,000 pounds of thrust.
While the 737’s cruising speed is around 530 mph, the 737 can reach up to 629 mph—that speed is better known as Mach .82.
The lead up to the race shows the side-by-side, shot-by-shot preparations of the pilots and the driver. One can see the Tesla driver changing his vehicle from “Sport mode” to “Ludicrous mode.”
Qantas explains that Ludicrous mode “decreases the 0-100 km/h time for Model S 10% to 3.0 seconds with a quarter mile time of 10.9 seconds. Time to 250 km per hour is now 20% faster than a standard Model S Performance.”
For customers of the two companies this collaboration will bring a number of benefits; among other perks, Tesla Model S owners can now enjoy Qantas Club membership, and Qantas frequent flyers will have a chance to explore Tesla technology at exclusive events.
The Australian national airline will now be Tesla’s air transport of choice while in Australia, making the California automative company a new participant in Qantas’ Future Planet Program.
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