Could an electric car outrace an aircraft?
That was what Qantas and Tesla sought to find out as the Flying Kangaroo pitted one of its Boeing 737-800s, VH-XZI, against the electric car maker’s Model S P90D electric car at Avalon Airport over the weekend.
The event marked the start of a partnership between the two companies, with benefits including a Qantas club membership for those purchasing a Tesla Model S vehicle. The airline is also installing charging points at its airport valet facilities in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
“We’re huge admirers of the way Tesla has transformed the electric car sector as a premium brand and we look forward to sharing our understanding and advance the work we started in 2012 on biofuels as an alternative to jet fuel,” Qantas head of environment and fuel Alan Milne said in a statemnt.
“What better way to celebrate working together than having a unique race – car versus plane.”
And the winner? The result of the race can be seen in the following Qantas video: