Tesla Tests Power Of Model X With Qantas Dreamliner Towing Stunt

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Tesla put the power of its Model X P100D to the test by having the electric SUV tow a Qantas 787 Dreamliner for a distance of almost 300 meters at Melbourne Airport.

A Tesla Model X P100D electric SUV tows Qantas' new 787-9 Dreamliner at a remote taxiway at Melbourne Airport.

The Tesla Model X touts all-wheel drive, and two engines one delivering 503 hp and 487 lb-ft (660 N-m) of torque and a second producing 259 hp and 243 lb-ft (329 N-m) of torque.

The Dreamliner weighs 130 tons far more than the Tesla’s rated towing capacity of 5,000 lbs. The feat was an attempt to earn the Guinness World Record as the heaviest tow by an electric passenger vehicle.

Though the Qantas Dreamliner this Tesla towed was fully equipped with cabin interiors, there were no passengers or cargo onboard and only a small amount of fuel.

But the Tesla X isn’t the first electric vehicle to tow an aircraft. Electric motors are appearing at airports around the world in various ground-service functions, including tugs.

Qantas uses electric aircraft tugs at its bases in Sydney and Canberra as part of the airline’s plan to reduce greenhouse emissions from its operations.

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