What's the maximum a car can accelerate? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly learn how fast cars can really go, how tires work, and the differences between combustion and electric cars with car expert Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained. What is the maximum a car could accelerate under normal conditions? Learn about how cars test for acceleration and some criticisms for the current system. How do tires work? What are the main functional differences between an electric motor and an internal combustion motor? Discover the rare rotary engine and what the differences in engines do for the performance of a car. What’s the fastest a car can go? We discuss drag, drafting, and velocity. Could you attach a turbo to an electric motor? Find out about electric cars and the design challenges when trying to make them faster. How fast is too fast? Learn about the future of fuel and our transition from steam-powered, to combustion, to electric engines. Could we have battery-powered airplanes? Could we have hydrogen-powered cars? Are biofuels like ethanol actually sustainable? We explore the issues we face with fuels and battery recycling as we enter a new era of cars. Thanks to our Patrons Brian Flowers, Everett Rubel, Sienna Howlett-Wagner, Scott Ware, and Charles Mugnolo for supporting us this week. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free. Get the NEW Cosmic Queries book (5/5 ⭐s on Amazon!): https://amzn.to/3dYIEQF Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk About StarTalk: Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! #StarTalk #neildegrassetyson 00:00 - Introduction 04:30 - Can you accelerate faster than 2 seconds? 13:00 - Combustion v. Electric Motor 15:20 - Rotary Engines 20:30 - Testing Cars & Track Conditions 25:15 - What is the fastest a car can go? 27:30 - Drafting 29:55 - Top Speed of Electric Cars 37:30 - Future of Fuel 41:10 - Hydrogen for Fuel 46:00 - Formula 1 & Sustainable Fuels 49:50 - Ethanol & Battery Recycling