How guy managed to create a Tesla that can drive 1,600 miles without charging
- This YouTuber has a fix for range anxiety
- He went on a 1.6k-mile road trip without a charger in his Tesla Model S
- He installed a gasoline powerplant to make it happen
Published on Aug 21, 2024 at 3:46 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Aug 21, 2024 at 6:55 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
If you need to ease your EV range anxiety, this US-based YouTuber has the answer in his Tesla Model S.
It allowed him to head on a 1,600-mile road trip without a charger.
He’s certainly confident – here’s how he did it.
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1,600-mile range
After range-related frustration caused anxiety, Matt Mikka the brains behind the YouTube channel Warped Perceptions, where he pulls off all sorts of engineering feats.
He was tired of stopping and waiting for his his Model S to charge on road trips.
So he decided to make a change allowing him to embark on a 1,600-mile road trip without charging.
In fact – he didn’t even pack one.
The Model S has a not-to-sniffed-at range of 400 miles on a single charge.
However, Mikka wanted to push that to 1,600 miles.
Seems he hadn’t hear about the students who created an EV that can drive 1,600 miles on a single charge.
How he pushed his Tesla to the max
His solution is to add the one thing that Tesla cars were designed without – a gasoline powerplant.
The result was loud and inefficient – but it looked pretty good.
He installed a single-cylinder, 400cc, overhead valve, gasoline engine at the rear.
Leaving it exposed gave a raw edge to the usually sleek silhouette of the Tesla Model S
However, it wasn’t a smooth trip.
A few miles down the road, Mikka clocked that his modded car was using a lot of gas.
Upon investigation, he found that, upon hitting a certain speed, gasoline spurted from the rear of the car.
Turns out that it was using energy faster than it could make it.
He was pulled over by a police officer for driving too slowly.
The excessive noise from the engine was a second issue.
He was forced to leave the engine running to charge it overnight during stops – meaning locals got the police involved again.
In fact, the engine ran non-stop for seven days.
Noise pollution is an issue too with this $250,000 supercar seized by police in London because of excessive revving.
Mikka’s solution?
Pull it apart and rebuild it better to iron out any kinks.
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Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.
