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This isn’t the type of competition you’d normally expect when it comes to towing. But it’s still an interesting thing to watch. Normally there’s a towing contest between pickup truck and pickup truck. You know, mano a mano. Not this time.
The folks at the Gruber Motor Company decided to do a Ford versus a Tesla experiment, only it’s not an F-150 up against a Cybertruck. That’s already been done (with some controversy). This time it’s a Ford-650 versus a first-generation Tesla Roadster. What do the two vehicles have in common? Not much, aside from orange exterior paint. But there is one more thing: torque, and lots of it.
The F-650 has around 725 lb-ft while the Roadster, depending on model year, can have as much as 295 lb-ft of twist. Clearly, the Ford wins the numbers contest, but it doesn’t have an all-electric motor. Why is this crucial? Instant torque.
There’s no engine revving involved for electric vehicles and their power is available immediately, hence the amazing acceleration. The next-generation Tesla Roadster is a prime example. Automakers have also clued in on the many benefits of electrification, hence the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T, and, in 2022, the Ford F-150 EV. But today is about watching a huge F-650 being towed by a tiny Tesla Roadster. Elon Musk had nothing to do with is (as far as we know), so there’s no conflict of interest.
Then again, it’s pretty clear why the Ford lost; it was simply put into neutral. No one shifted it into gear and hit the gas. If so, there would have been an awful lot of smoke caused by tire burning.
So yeah, that’s true, but also consider this: would it be possible for, say, a Mazda MX-5 Miata to pull this truck? No way. Even when shifted into neutral, the Miata would have zero chance. It probably wouldn’t even budge, but the Tesla managed without a huge amount of effort. That’s impressive.