One of the biggest advantages of electric vehicles from a performance standpoint is their ability to produce instant torque. Some may even consider it a safety feature, as some alert Tesla owners have discovered.
The video uploaded on YouTube by Quan Nguyen on September 7 features a dash cam perspective from a Tesla Model 3 driving down a four-lane highway in Houston. “I have never appreciated having an instant torque as much as this time. If I had not paid attention to my rearview mirror during this peak traffic hour, it would have been a serious crash,” Nguyen wrote in the description of his video.
Rush hour traffic had commuters moving slowly, not separated by more than a few car-links. As could be seen from Nguyen’s rear-view camera feed, a Nissan sedan was approaching the Model 3 from behind quickly. Realizing that an accident was imminent, Nguyen stepped on his accelerator, moving away from the approaching vehicle and, avoiding the collision. In that split second, the Model 3 increased from 20 mph to 27 mph.
This is not the first time instant torque has been credited with assisting a driver in evading a collision. Earlier this year, an owner of a Long Range RWD Model 3 was able to avoid a collision with a car that lost control and slammed into the right barrier wall. INTELSAT chief architect Joel Trimble II credits his Model 3 Long Range for “saving his life”.
Watch Nguyen’s Model 3 near-miss in the video below.
