More than a half million dollars' worth of metal, rubber, gears, and horsepower recently zoomed down a quarter-mile track in the United Kingdom as part of a Cybertruck drag race held by YouTuber Mat Watson and friends.
They hold all kinds of races between different makes and models, posting the footage on their Carwow channel (@carwow). One of the latest featured an electric Tesla Cybertruck, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and a Mercedes-AMG G63. The latter two are gas-powered SUVs.
The American electric vehicle earned the win (multiple times) by a full Cybertruck's length, but not before an exhilarating spectacle of high-speed racing, featuring more than 600 horsepower for each vehicle, according to Watson. Cybertruck outweighed the other vehicles, tipping the scales at more than 6,600 pounds. The result was a weighty mass of tech and engineering moving at speeds that would impress any gearhead.
|
Would you ever consider buying a Tesla Cybertruck? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Absolutely 👍 Cybertruck completed the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds, per the video. Tesla has claimed the EV's all-wheel drive model can hit 112 miles per hour. The Cyberbeast version can reach 130.
"This is quite an interesting drag race, because what we have here is the most luxurious SUV. Then we have the most capable off-road SUV … and then we have the most talked about SUV that isn't even an SUV — it's a pickup truck … but, still, people are buying it like an SUV because it's a fashion statement," Watson said in the video. The "pickup truck" portion was of course in reference to the Cybertruck.
The YouTubers raced from both cold and rolling starts, with the EV proving dominant. And while the odd-looking Tesla truck may not be for everyone, a variety of cleaner and more conventional-looking rides are available. Better yet, qualified new vehicles come with a $7,500 tax break stateside — at least the time being, as the future of the Inflation Reduction Act is up in the air. And $4,000 in incentives are applicable for eligible used EVs. That's in addition to the approximately $1,500 a year you can save in gas and maintenance costs by switching from a gas-powered vehicle.
Better battery tech is also improving charge times to under 20 minutes when using fast-charging options, like Tesla's Superchargers. IONNA is planning to roll out a nationwide network of stations as well. And the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, reported in January 2024 that the average EV range increased to 270 miles for model year 2023 — a new high.
That's not to mention that each EV that replaces a gas-burning car prevents thousands of pounds of planet-warming exhaust annually, per the DOE. The tailpipe gases are linked by medical experts to lung, heart, and other health risks.
What's more, EnergySage has previously reported that popular EVs like the Tesla Model 3 are often up to three times more efficient than the hybrid Toyota Prius, noted for its fuel thriftiness.
And while it's true that millions of tons of deposits will need to be mined each year as we transition to cleaner transportation and energy systems, we currently pull 16.5 billion tons of dirty fuels from the Earth each year, according to Sustainability by Numbers.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
For Carwow's part, the sensational high-value race featured less-common vehicles. But Cybertruck's performance served as a showcase for the potential of battery-powered rides.
"I think the drag coefficient of these three cars has single handedly slowed down earth's rotation," a viewer commented on the video.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
