An estimated 258 horsepower and 317 pound-feet (430 Nm) of torque may not seem like much in any other vehicle, but it’s more than enough in the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range AWD. The question is, can the all-electric sedan outaccelerate a supercharged truck to 60 mph (97 kph)?
On paper, it’s pretty obvious that a TRX has the upper hand over the Model 3 Standard Range AWD because of the Hellcat V8 engine with 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet (881 Nm) of torque. Ram quotes 4.5 seconds to 60 miles per hour, but Dave Erickson of Everyman Driver managed to push the gentle giant to 4.32 seconds without breaking a sweat.
He did four runs in total, with the other three ranging from 4.33 to 4.58 and 4.59 seconds. The electric interloper from Tesla, on the other hand, should achieve the desired speed in approximately five seconds. Dave couldn’t do better than 5.64 seconds, but on the other hand, that result is very impressive. Honda Civic Type R impressive, to be more precise.
As far as straight-line performance is concerned, a fairer comparison against the TRX would have been with the Model 3 Long Range (4.2 seconds) or the Model 3 Performance (3.1 seconds). Ram may upgrade the supercharged HEMI at some point in the future, yet the near-instant torque delivery of an electric car always prevails from zero to 60 miles per hour.
Tesla, however, cannot match the off-road prowess of the TRX with the yet-to-be-finalized Cybertruck. The Hellcat-engined truck features 35-inch rubber, 2.5-inch Bilstein adaptive performance shocks, and five-link rear suspension for better articulation, translating to an approach angle of 30.2 degrees and a ground clearance of 11.8 inches (29.72 centimeters).
If you’re in the market for a Model 3, prepare to pony up $38,990 for the rear-driven Standard Range Plus or $47,990 for the dual-motor Long Range. Prospective customers of the Ram 1500 TRX will have to spend $70,000 at the very least, excluding $1,695 for the freight charge.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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