Special SpaceX Tesla Roadster 2.0 to feature rockets

[Kaido]

So the base model of the Roadster 2.0 goes 0 to 60 in 1.9 seconds. But there will be a special-option package available:

"SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car. These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering." via Musk on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1005577738332172289

Check out the fourth reply here for an interesting discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotor...spacex_option_package_for_new_tesla_roadster/

Back to Twitter:

https://twitter.com/djenkins6/status/1005582226631819264

Someone on Twitter: "I reckon it’s adapted cold gas thrusters used in upper stage rocket guidance, using plain old compressed air."

Musk: "Using the config you describe, plus an electric pump to replenish air in COPV, when car power draw drops below max pack power output, makes sense. But we are going to go a lot further."

Note: COPV = Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels, which are super-strong pressure bottles used by SpaceX.

That would be a pretty interesting approach for boosting performance, especially as we hit the limits of motor-driven cars. Sounds like it would basically be an electrically-driven highly-compressed air version of NOS that gets pushed out through ducts or rocket vents for enhanced acceleration, a higher top-speed, and better braking & cornering. The safety possibilities are pretty interesting too - if Autopilot detects stopped vehicles at highway speeds, it could auto-brake & also auto-thrust through the front of the car to help the vehicle stop earlier. Or if you're fishtailing on ice or something, it could auto-adjust the vehicle for you. Very interested to see how this plays out...

 

[ponyo]

Insane and so awesome at the same time.

 

[yottabit]

The physics of this make it seem like a very confusing choice to me.

This type of propulsion seems like very low impulse compared to the traction of tires meeting the road, etc. Which is why it works well in space where there are no significant external forces.

On ground I don't see it being able to have a significant effect without a big portion of the car dedicated to that system. At least not regarding accel/deccel.

Thinking through it a little more, I could see it being most useful helping out with dynamic stability control and adding extra downforce when needed. For instance a few extra lbs force on a tire in a corner at the right time could make a measurable difference in handling. (For a more extreme example check out the "sucker car" Chaparral 2J)



Probably the coolest thing about this would be the possibility to control the car in conditions where the tires lost traction (in a skid, particularly on ice or dirt!) In those scenarios the air blasts would have a greater relative effect

 

[Jon-T]

Compress air rockets? Like a balloon flying about the room? Or a Crossman airgun?

Reminds me of when he announced he was going to put a Tesla Roadster in orbit around Mars.

of course what actually happened was he tossed it into space where it floats around the sun like an asteroid or any other piece of space debris and occasionally crosses the orbit of Mars.


What I think he actually means is that there will be some sort of aerodynamic modifiers. Like the now banned F-duct in F1. Or what was done in NASCAR a few years ago where some teams rigged a switch to put cooling fans into reverse in order to change low pressure zones into high pressure ones. The term "Rocket" just sounds so much cooler.