Tesla CEO Elon Musk once claimed that the future Tesla sports car will receive a "SpaceX" package with propellers to assist in acceleration. Since then, we have never seen its fur again. However, YouTuber Warped Perception built something along a similar route by fixing three jet engines to the back of his Tesla Model S.
The construction uses a small jet of the type commonly used in radio control models. The three engines are mounted on a custom welded frame at the rear of Tesla, which is bolted to the underside of the car. Placing the engine behind the luggage compartment was a deliberate choice to stop the jet's windmill when driving in a power outage, which could damage its precision bearings due to lack of lubrication.
Running these jet engines is not easy and requires a lot of electronic equipment to make everything work well. This video shows some excellent manufacturing and design, including a set of CNC-machined throttle levers, which are nicely installed on Tesla's center console. It is paired with a set of switches and displays, allowing the pilot to start and shut down the engine as needed, and monitor vital signs while the jet is operating. What is particularly impressive is the way the label is 3D printed and pasted on the control panel. It almost looks like a real airplane.
At full tilt, the jet uses about 1.5-2 gallons of fuel per minute, and the engine in the video uses both hydrogenated diesel and kerosene. The latter option allows filling the tank mounted on the frunk with a kerosene pump at any gas station, as long as the fuel is premixed with the turbine oil before starting the engine. When the fuel tank is full, it can hold up to 100 pounds of kerosene, and there is a meter on the dashboard to monitor the fuel remaining in the tank.
In the first highway test, Tesla was able to slowly accelerate to 61 mph and maintain that speed, rolling in neutral only under the power of the jet. This is something you only want to try on a road with enough space, because the hot exhaust from the engine is likely to burn the car behind.
Next, the car will undergo a series of 0-60 tests, although the road surface is wet and slippery, the results are difficult to interpret. In the case of electricity only, the 0-60 time of Model S is 4.38 seconds. Increasing the jet's power reduces it to 3.32 seconds, compared to 3.4 seconds on another pass. It is still much slower than the optimal time that Warped Perception can obtain in a dry environment, and is close to 2.4 seconds flat. A proper comparison under better conditions makes it clear whether the jet helps accelerate or hinders the car by adding significant weight.
If you see this on the highway, you might stop.
Of course, this is not a practical complement to electric vehicles. Emissions have greatly increased, and the fuel efficiency of the three microjets is not worth considering. However, it is cool and interesting, and the author admits to being very curious about whether jets have any measurable performance advantages under normal conditions. Warped Perception hopes to make the Tesla Model S P85D's 0-60 time less than 2.0 seconds through the air jet; such a feat is definitely a must-see.
Are there any hints? Let the author know: lewin@thedrive.com
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