While wildly popular electric automaker Tesla is aggressively focused on the development of its self-driving ‘Autopilot’ features, one cannot turn a blind eye to other features -unrelated to autonomous driving – that are already available to owners. One such feature, exclusive to the Model S P85D has actually helped a driver prevent a serious collision.
The attached Youtube video shows Tesla owner Jason Hughes capture the idealistic use of the ‘instant acceleration’ feature of his electric automobile. Captured using a rear-mounted dashcam on the Model S P85D – the fastest production car in the world, the video shows how the Model S P85D helped Hughes fleetingly miss a rear-end collision with a raging Prius.
This moment was captured when Hughes was slowing down to make a left turn, which can be verified by the sound of the blinker in the background. The distracted driver then started closing in on his Tesla, without realizing that it has come to a stand still to make the turn. There is only a certain way this scenario could’ve played out for both the automobiles — a serious collision.
The distracted driver, however, realized that the Tesla in front of him was actually waiting to make a turn, so he tried to slow down and turned his car towards the glass-covered curb. But, it was also the moment when Hughes realized that he was about to be plowed down by the Prius coming from behind him. So, he acted fast and put the pedal to the medal.
And thanks to the instant acceleration of the Model S P85D, which is capable of accelerating 0 to 60 mph in a mere 3.2 seconds, he safely made it out of the danger zone. Unlike internal combustion engine which takes forever to accelerate, the electric motors of the Tesla enable it to generate torque almost instantly. It’s this instant torque generation which enabled Hughes to wiggle his way out of danger.
