Guy puts gas generator in his Tesla to avoid plugging it in during road trip
Published on Jun 08, 2023 at 5:43 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Jun 23, 2023 at 3:33 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Range anxiety is one of the major things holding people back from switching to electric.
The thought of running out of juice and there not being enough charging spots puts people off.
READ MORE! Guy tries to drive his Tesla Model S Plaid under 7 feet of water
One YouTuber appears to have come up with a solution, albeit an unconventional one.
Ahead of an 1,800-mile road trip around the Midwest, Matt Mikka installed a gas generator in his Tesla Model S.
You may be thinking, isn’t the Tesla Model S one of the longest-range electric cars you can buy?
Yes, you’re right – it can travel up to 405 miles on a single charge, but that’s not enough for Mikka, who runs the YouTube channel Warped Perception.
“I really like my Tesla, but what I don’t like is stopping to charge, especially on a road trip,” he said.
“I don’t even like stopping to fill up my gas-powered car and that’s way faster than charging.”
It wasn’t a spur of the moment decision to install the gas generator,either, Mikka planned the project for five years, and spent more than a year and a half designing it.
In the below video, Mikka explains how the system charges the Tesla not only when parked, but also while the car is moving.
So, was it a success?
Mikka did in fact do his road trip without plugging into a charging station once.
He did have to stop for gas, though.
Not only that, but as the Tesla Model S consumed more energy than the generator could produce while driving, Mikka had to stop for 5-6 hours per day while the car sat and charged.
He probably didn’t make any friends at the hotels he stayed at either, as he left the noisy generator running overnight in the parking lot so he could have a nearly-full battery.
What’s more, he even got pulled over on the highway for driving too slow as he tried to keep energy consumption down.
If the truth be told, while it’s a cool build it’s basically useless, as it doesn’t create enough energy.
Keep your eyes peeled for version two, though, because Mikka says he’s already working on a much better solution.
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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
