ED’S LETTER
“You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.”
William Blake
The new Audi RS e-tron GT accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S in 2.8 seconds, and the new Tesla Model S Plaid in 2.1 seconds. The latter is billed as the quickest series production car ever. These three cars have three things in common – they are allelectric, have four doors each, and have a base price set between $133,000 (close to R2-million and $185,000 (approximately R2.7-million). These are four-door family sedans boasting hypercar performance in a relatively affordable price bracket – at least in comparison to the typical hypercar.
In context, the $3.3-million Bugatti Chiron Noir accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 2.4 seconds, slightly quicker than the Taycan Turbo S, but slower than the Model S Plaid. The $940,000 (in 2013) hybrid Porsche 918 Spyder accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 2.6 seconds. The $1 million McLaren Senna accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds.
Besides the fact that an electric drivetrain is nearly four times more energy-efficient than an internal combustion drivetrain, an electric motor also has up to five times the power density of an internal combustion engine. We are witnessing the democratisation of performance and price as more segments gain access to more performance at more affordable prices.
This is evident in the efficiency and power density of electric propulsion, even though electric cars pay a huge weight penalty due to the battery pack being approximately six times less energy-dense than a tank of petrol or diesel. Just imagine what spectacular performance could be extracted from electric cars as batteries become more energy-dense, lighter and more affordable over the next decade. We are clearly witnessing the dawn of another “space race”.
The point I’m trying to emphasise has nothing to do with bashing internal combustion technology, but more accurately, with road safety. With electric cars offering hypercar performance to more buyers, the current “space race” – commencing with the quest to produce the next quickest sedan – is bound to spill over into other segments, such as hot hatches and bakkies. This may pose a significant danger to all road users.
The last thing we want to witness is an 18-year-old teenager driving an electric hot hatch that can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than three seconds. Or a camo-clad person identifying as a man leaving a tavern in a three-ton Tesla Cybertruck that can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than three seconds and run the quarter-mile in less than 10.
If you think superbikes scare the living daylights out of you when on your leisurely Sunday morning drive to Hartebeespoort Dam, wait until every other car is an electric car that can accelerate as quickly as a superbike, littering every highway, byway and cul de sac with two-ton ballistic missiles.
Perhaps automakers will come to an amicable resolution before continuing with the current “space race” to produce the next quickest, more affordable electric car, but unfortunately, the auto industry does not have a legacy of sound self-governance, so in the end, the authorities may have to step in with suitable legislation, before we “know what is more than enough”. Drive safe! Wilhelm Loots