Tesla had a record 2019 and is hoping for an even better 2020, with projects like a new Gigafactory in the U.S., one in Europe and the official launch of the one in China, among other things.
The electric “revolution” is also picking up speed, so it’s understandable if you too have been wondering recently about whether you should ditch the ICE car you drive, in favor of its more eco-friendly counterpart. If money’s an issue, a cheaper option could be possible, if you have the time and skills.
It’s also the world’s smallest Tesla, according to the builder, Austin from the austiwawa YouTube channel. It would cost you only $600 on an actual Tesla purchase, plus whatever is needed for the modifications – and plenty of spare time to forge your own electric vehicle.
Austin took a $600 battery-powered Radio Flyer Tesla Model S and turned it into the world’s smallest Tesla. Yes, the vehicle he used is a kiddie car, so he stripped the fancy plastics and added a heavily-modified go-kart underneath chassis.
The result is far from a comfortable ride because, as noted above, this is a kids’ car he’s driving. However, he added an elevated seat for more legroom. On the plus side, the car does excel in terms of speed, reading a top speed at 48V of 72 kph, which is roughly 45 mph. Forget about electric bikes, this could be the fastest way for single-person commuting. If only it were legal.
Austin calls his invention the Teskart and he is convinced that, if you stretch the definition of a Tesla a bit, it would be the world’s smallest. To honor the real thing, Austin also built a Tesla battery replica that he placed inside the go-kart.
Here is the video of how Austin designed and built the miniature Tesla, including awesome footage of how it handled on its first test drive.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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