Tesla Roadster's Fans Create Up to 2 g of Suction Grip

Tesla says the Roadster uses a set of floor-mounted fans that actively extract air from beneath the car, creating a low-pressure zone that presses the body to the road. According to the company, the system can produce up to 2 g of suction.

The effect is literal suction: Tesla says that level of downforce is sufficient to hold the car inverted. The same force also increases the normal load on the tires, improving traction for acceleration, braking and cornering.

Conventional aerodynamic downforce depends on airspeed and vehicle shape. Wings and bodywork need a certain flow speed to generate meaningful pressure. The Roadster's fans bypass that limitation by producing additional grip even at low speeds.

If the claimed 2 g of suction can be used fully in corners, the car could—at least in theory—sustain lateral acceleration in excess of 2 g, a figure almost unheard of for road-going production cars.

Adjustable aero and an outspoken CEO

Active suction is only one element of the Roadster's approach. Tesla says the car also adjusts its aerodynamics with a variable-angle rear wing and two operating modes: a high-downforce setting for corners and heavy braking, and a low-drag mode for high-speed runs where aerodynamic resistance is minimized.

Elon Musk has described the driving experience bluntly: "You can corner like you are breaking physics, because the car sticks so hard to the ground... this car can suck the chrome off a tow hook." He has also pointed to the planned SpaceX thruster option when arguing that a short 0-97 km/h time could not capture the Roadster's full abilities.

Tesla says the suction system can generate up to 2 g, which the company says is enough to keep the car inverted.