How Quickly Would a Tesla Roadster Do 0-60 On Mars?

As you're probably aware, Elon Musk sent his personal first-generation Tesla Roadster into space on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket last month. This led Engineering Explained's Jason Fenske to ask an important question: How quickly would a new Tesla Roadster accelerate on Mars? It seems silly, but don't forget, Musk wants humans to colonize Mars someday. This could end up being information of critical importance.

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Fenske uses his trusty whiteboard to show precisely how to calculate 0-60 mph acceleration on Mars based on Earth-bound figures. That helps him arrive at a simple equation—gravity on Earth (32.2 feet/second²) divided by gravity on Mars (12.18 feet/second²), multiplied by the Roadster's claimed 0-60 mph time (1.9 seconds). Given this, Fenske estimates the Roadster would hit 60 mph in five seconds flat on the red planet, slowed down significantly by the reduced friction (and thus, reduced traction) of Mars's lower gravity.

Is this calculation perfect? No. Mars doesn't yet have roads, and its much-thinner, zero-oxygen atmosphere would probably have some negative effect on the Tesla's cooling. But it's a fun thought experiment nevertheless.

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