Former Tesla Employee Quit To Live In His Tesla Model X … & A Model 3 For 1 Month
A former Tesla employee gave up living in a brick and mortar house to live in something that’s far more and far less elegant at the same time — a Tesla Model X. While working at Tesla’s Fremont factory, Nico was frustrated by expensive real estate in the San Francisco Bay Area, which made the option of what has become known as “Van Life” — or living out of a modified van — an attractive alternative.
As a Tesla employee, Nico had a different take on what vehicle was the best fit for him. When he discovered a great price on a Model X, he took the leap and dove in. On October 1, 2017, he kicked off his Tesla Van Life adventures. Just a few short months later, on April 1, 2018, Nico left Tesla altogether, just one day after purchasing a Model 3 that kicked off another chapter of life for him.
Nico shared with CleanTechnica that leaving Tesla allowed him to focus full-time on creating content for his YouTube channel — Tesla Van Life — while also providing time to leisurely road trip across the country to deliver the Model 3 to his 80 year old grandfather in New Jersey. Of course, he slept in the Model 3 while driving across the country, meeting up with friends and family along the way.
The first question many ask about Van Life is about parking — where do you park a car like the Model X overnight to catch some shuteye? Nico had an easy option for the first few months of his transition in the form of the Tesla Fremont factory parking lot. The issues and parking problems at the factory have been well documented as Tesla has struggled to grow its infrastructure in parallel to sales, but it worked for Nico. As a bonus, the commute was short and Tesla’s onsite gym, showers, and cafeteria made it a nice home base.
Nico shared that leaving Tesla wasn’t an easy decision but has been very rewarding, noting that it was “definitely the best decision and scariest decision I’ve made in my life.” Since leaving Tesla, Nico shared that he has experimented with parking in higher end neighborhoods overnight, where the Model X would seem less out of place. This doesn’t feel like a very sustainable solution but shows just how flexible a recreational vehicle as a home truly is.
Searching around, you can see that there are a number of Bay Area residents looking for alternative housing arrangements, and a number of Tesla employees have opted to live out of their vehicles — whether it be a Subaru Forester, Dodge Sprinter van … or now a Tesla Model 3.
I won’t spoil the fun by unpacking the content from his videos, but they are worth a watch if you’re considering a Tesla as a weekend warrior mobile, a sleeping pod for longer road trips, or are even considering diving in head first and making a Tesla your home on wheels.
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