The auto industry has pushed this metric for decades. But cars—especially EVs—are so fast that comparing the decimals is pointless and dangerous.
Seventy years ago, British carmaker Austin-Healey sought to wow the public with its “100” sports car model. The company presented its pitch in a 1955 magazine advertisement that promised “light, precise steering, pool-table flat cornering, and stable four-footed roadability.” If that wasn’t enough to impress prospective buyers, Austin-Healey shared a particular performance metric in eye-grabbing red ink: “From 0 to 60 M.P.H. in 10.5 Seconds.”
