Tesla Roadster’s 10000Nm ‘wheel torque’ is probably not what you think

  • Jan 5, 2018
Tesla roadster 10000 Nm torque
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Tesla roadster 10000 Nm torque

The Tesla Roadster was arguably one of the biggest automotive reveals of 2017. The car promised bohemian numbers at a not-so-bohemian price tag of $200,000 and it was hard for us not to fall in love. However, it has come to our notice that we may have been misled by atleast one of the figures.

In his popular channel ‘Engineering Explained’, Mr. Jason Fenske has explained that the 10,000 Nm wheel torque isn’t in-line with the standardized measure of the auto industry. You would have to factor in the car’s gear ratio and final drive for a comparative measure. This would effectively bring down the engine torque to just over 10% of the wheel torque value, which is 758 lb-ft or 1,027 Nm. This is still impressive and 10% more than the P100, but nothing other-worldly as we’ve been led to believe.

In comparison, the 770 lb-ft (1,043 Nm) engine torque of the Dodge Demon would mean a monstrous 14,000 Nm of torque in its first gear. The Tesla Roadster, being an electric, would have instant and constant access to its huge torque in the initial rev ranges. The demon, even though it’s an outright drag machine, could thus struggle in a race with the latter.

Tesla roadster torque claim

The Tesla Roadster can do 0-60mph in 1.9 seconds and has a top speed of 250 mph (402 kmh).

The all-new Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

In their defense, Tesla has clearly tagged the 10,000Nm as wheel torque in their official website.

Watch the full video for a more in-depth analysis: