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Qantas’ newest star, its 787 Dreamliner, came face to face with one of the leading electric passenger vehicles, the Tesla Model X P100D. When the two vehicles met last week, it marked the first time an electric vehicle towed a passenger airliner. And there’s a video to prove the seamless tow.
On a runway at Melbourne Airport (MEL), the Tesla was attached to the Dreamliner in an attempt to snag the Guinness World Record spot for the heaviest tow by an electric production passenger vehicle — the Tesla Model X P100D has the greatest pulling power of any passenger vehicle.
The Dreamliner weights about 130 metric tonnes and can carry 236 people (this particular Dreamliner only had a small amount of fuel onboard and was not carrying any cargo or passengers). The Tesla’s rated road tow capacity measures in at 2.5 metric tonnes. When the Tesla towed the Dreamliner, it was carrying more than 50 times its towing capacity and produced so much torque that it was able to tow the Dreamliner nearly 300 meters.
Qantas partnered with Tesla to bring attention to their plan to reduce greenhouse emissions. In certain Australian cities, the airline already uses electric aircraft tugs to move airplanes. Qantas has more than 10,000 pieces of equipment in its inventory that run on diesel — “even just a small shift to electric power will have an enormous impact in the move to a sustainable future,” the airline said in a press release.
In their partnership, Tesla and Qantas are offering Tesla owners who are also Qantas Frequent Flyer members can have their “mileage offset both in their vehicles and in the air for the month of June with the Qantas’ Future Planet Program.” Additionally, Qantas Valet facilities throughout Australia are supplying charging stations for Tesla vehicles.
Take a look at the video below to see the Tesla Model X P100D successfully tow the Qantas 787 Dreamliner.
Know before you go.
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