Many of the videos are comparisons. You can see drag races comparing speed or tug of war videos which feature power. Some are simply in-depth profiles of fancy vehicles like the latest Rolls Royce.
On Tuesday, Inside EVS (insideevs.com) got excited by a carwow video involving a diesel-powered Land Rover that tangled in a tug-of-war with a Tesla-powered Land Rover. The article, written by Steven Loveday, begins with this exclamation: "What a concept?" Actually, that punctuation mark should be an exclamation: What a concept!
Can an EV defeat a diesel bull in a head-to-head (or tail-to-tail) power game? That is what everyone is checking in to see.
The video features Mat Watson, whose English brogue is so thick you can cut it with a chainsaw, explaining all the details so that we understand the parameters of this exhibition. Watson serves as narrator and host.
We're all familiar with the tug-of-war concept. There's a rope and the two vehicles are securely fastened, facing opposite directions. In this case we have a new Land Rover Defender vs. an older Land Rover powered by a Tesla electric motor and battery pack.
When he lifts the hood you see the size of the motor and in the rear you see the space filled with battery. Not much space for luggage if you're heading out on a family vacation, but that's not the point here.
One reason the diesel was selected for this face-off is because diesels have been the vehicle of choice when it come to towing. Long haul trucking is diesel dependent as well, at least for now. In this instance we're looking at daily drivers.
People who favor diesel-powered light trucks aren't choosing diesel simply for the towing capacity. Diesel engines are more durable, lasting longer and providing more trouble-free service. Even so, they do have a reputation for low-end torque. Loveday notes that even "high-tech turbocharged engines and hybrid systems have proven they can tow more."
For this specific competition carwow had to modify an old Land Rover because there aren't any all-electric pickup trucks or capable EV SUVs available. The modified Land Rover gives viewers a chance to see a head to head with similar structures.
SPOILER ALERT
Since this is an EV website we're reading this on, you might assume that the diesel will end up on the losing end, but the script has a few twists. There are two Tesla-powered vehicles in this story. The diesel Land Rover will defeat the Tesla Land Rover fairly easily. But an analysis of the defeat seems to indicate that the Tesla lacked sufficient body mass to give adequate traction.
To solve that problem, they replace the standard Rover with a larger, heavier Land Rover. This beast also has some serious tread on its wheels. EV fans were all cheering no doubt when this Tesla-powered machine kicked up dirt and pulled the diesel Rover backwards across the line.
It's not an entirely apples-to-apples comparison, but the exhibition does show how far EV power has come. Seeing that Elon Musk's SpaceX launched four humans into outer space yesterday, you might say that this has been a very special week for Tesla.
It doesn't mean the premature end of diesel, however. It only means that we're in a very different period in history.
Here's the video of that tug-of-war. Check it out. It's fun.
https://insideevs.com/news/533058/gas-vs-tesla-power-tugofwar/
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