Tesla’s electric cars are noted for their quickness. Over the years, it has become a fun pastime for electric car fans to watch videos of Teslas dominating gas-powered vehicles on the drag strip. Equally entertaining is watching two Teslas battle against each other in a quick race. Earlier this month, a Model S and a Model 3 faced off against each other — just not in what one would call a conventional competition. Ladies and gents, here is the great Tesla Summon Race.
The fun Summon race was the brainchild of Tesla owner-enthusiast Teslaunity from YouTube. The race involved a Model S 75 and a Long Range RWD Model 3. Both vehicles were controlled by Apple iPhone X smartphones. Considering the distance limitations for the self-parking feature, the Summon race between the Model S and Model 3 was restricted to just 24 feet. The race itself was surprisingly soothing to watch, considering that Summon is limited to only 1 mph. Nevertheless, during the run itself, the behavior of the Model 3 was notable.
The Tesla Model S started moving before the Model 3, despite Summon being activated at the same time. For the first few feet, the Model S actually had a lead on the smaller car, but midway through the Summon sequence, the Model 3 seemed to hit its stride and started catching up to the larger vehicle. The Model S ultimately crossed the 24-foot mark first, but it seemed like had the distance been longer, the Model 3 would have caught up and overtaken its larger sibling. Looking at the way the two vehicles behaved, it appeared that the Model S’ larger wheels contributed to its early lead. The Model 3’s “comeback,” on the other hand, seemed like it was due to the electric car’s lighter weight and electric motor.
Both vehicles in the video are powered by a single motor at the rear. Nevertheless, the Model 3 differs from the Model S in the way that its electric motor is newer and its battery pack uses Tesla’s larger 2170 cells. As a recent look into the Model 3’s drive unit has revealed, the electric sedan’s motor is incredibly simple and powerful — so much so that four of them can propel the massive Tesla Semi from 0-60 mph in 5 seconds flat. If any, Tesla’s electric motor on the Model 3 appears to be just as good, if not a step up from the motors used on the Model S and X.
The Model 3 just received its Summon feature recently, and if Elon Musk’s Twitter updates are any indication, Tesla would be making the self-parking capability even better. According to Musk, Tesla is looking to develop a “way more advanced” form of Summon that would be introduced for all Model S and Model X equipped with HW2 Autopilot, as well as all Model 3. Musk did not specify the improvements that would be rolled out to the feature, but expectations are high that the CEO might be referring to Smart Summon — a feature that would allow Tesla’s vehicles to maneuver around obstacles to reach a target location.
Watch the Model S vs. Model 3 Summon race in the video below.
