Tesla Model S To Become VW Camper Van

Yes, you read that right. It’s a weird project, but kind of inspiring in that it uses a recycled, wrecked Model S. It might have turned out that it wasn’t used to make another vehicle at all
so it’s definitely an instance of creative re-use.

The wrecked Tesla cost $42,000, so this kind of reclamation and conversion isn’t for everyone, but the project is still fascinating. After testing and poking around a while the lead mechanic gets the battery re-connected and finds out the electrical system, engine and drive train are still working. The battery had been sitting for several months, but still had a 68% charge. He also establishes that the battery can still take a charge.

If some of these details seem trivial, it should be remembered that there were some news accounts about Tesla Model S accidents that seemed to paint the whole vehicle as potentially problematic, or even implied that it is dangerous. In this particular case, we see even a wrecked Model S has a battery that has more than half its charge remaining after several months of not being re-charged.

(There is a similar project described on YouTube using a Toyota Prius to place inside a VW Bus. (It seems that some people love VW vans enough to do all sorts of custom mods to them.)

The stretch VW camper van was made by combining two VW buses, and it was already operational with an internal combustion engine. It blew a rod though on a trip between Oregon and California, so the idea to make it electric emerged.

You can see the original drive train being pulled in this video.

You have to admire the initiative of someone who can combine two VW buses and then undertake converting them to an electric motor, battery pack and its unique drive train. If successful, the vehicle will be a more green RV, perhaps one of the greenest.

If you are interested in greener cars, check out the EV cars answers section.