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The Tesla Model S is one of the most fashionable cars on the market. Its clean appearance and breathtaking performance have proven that electric vehicles can be cool.
With Tesla, this coolness has a cost. With prices ranging from $ 75,000 to $ 135,000 before options, the Model S is out of reach for many.
So a Massachusetts man decided to take things in his own hands, literally. He goes through Rich and, on his YouTube channel, "Rich Rebuilds", you can see his work: combine the rescue of Teslas to create new cars on the move.
His efforts have attracted many followers, with over 310,000 subscribers on YouTube and several videos that have been viewed more than a million times. His efforts have also attracted the attention of some Tesla employees in Palo Alto, California.
We talked to Rich about what to do to combine electric recovery cars to create riders in good working order.
Telsa refused to comment on this story.
Boston.com: Have you always been in cars? What did you do before creating videos on YouTube?
Rich Rebuilds: I work in the financial district of Boston and I have always been interested in cars. For a long time, I never knew how to pursue this passion. So I tinkered with the cars I had, like my Corvette.
I earn a living wage, but moving from full-time computer to full-time auto mechanic was a daunting task. I wanted to start working with cars as a hobby. Then a A few years ago, a friend of mine got a job at Tesla. He brought by a model S, and I immediately fell in love.
How did you start working on Teslas? Can you guide us through the process of this first recovery build?
When my friend was brought by the Model S, it was awesome. He ticked all the right boxes for me. Then he told me the price.
Once he told me it was $ 100,000, I thought: I must be able to get one for less. I therefore looked for those who were plucked, damaged but still able to drive. I ended up looking on Google for a Tesla that was in a field and that was quite inexpensive to get my attention. I later discovered that there had been a flood. But I was arrogant and just thought, how could this be difficult?
I thought it was like a very large cell phone, and I could put it in a rice bag or use a ton of hair dryer. But I found out how difficult it was and that's when it all started.
And what has been your relationship with Tesla all this time?
When I first called them, I told them that I had disassembled a car because of sea water damage and that I had asked to buy parts. They said they could not sell me parts and kept saying that. I said to myself, What am I going to do?
What would normally happen with any other car is that I tell them the car and go to a dealer's parts department and sell you a part for a vehicle. To be honest, I was not used to not having the support of the builder.
So what did you do when Tesla did not sell you coins?
I ended up buying another car for an additional $ 15,000 and harvesting all the parts from one car to the other. The second car was not flooded, but it was badly damaged.
The project took several months. I worked on it at night and on weekends. My wife has a car and me a Corvette. The second car could not stay there. I had to go to a tow yard about an hour away. I would bring tools, remove parts from the car and come back an hour to put the parts back on the other car.
I've learned to work on these cars by reverse engineering – trial and error. That's how we built it. While I was dismantling the flooded car, I was learning about it.
Do you have problems with Tesla software?
Not really. There were some problems in the beginning. Some components of the two cars would not talk to each other. So I literally had to use everything from the dry car and the frame of the car damaged by the water.
Another problem was that I needed a key for the car. After starting the car, I looked in the GPS, found the former owner and reached out. We had a long conversation and he called Tesla. A week later, he called back and said that he had a key.
When did you decide to turn your work into a YouTube channel? And how was it executed?
For the very first version, I just made random images and post them on a Tesla forum. This thread was viewed more than 700,000 times and was only posting images. Someone suggested that I should put this on YouTube, and I left from there.
Launching a channel on YouTube is not for the sensitive souls. You show up whenever you post a video. Only one of my videos could reach a million viewers. A very small percentage are strict haters and many people post comments questioning my abilities.
It is demanding. It's a full-time job to stay on top of YouTube searches. And on top of that, I still have my day job.
And what was Tesla's answer to your channel?
[I’m told] many people watch the channel, whether they want to admit it or not.
There are only five people able to do the work of Tesla. Some will not document it for a variety of reasons. Go to YouTube and watch Tesla's videos, and very few of them bring the truth to the masses. There are many Tesla evangelists, and they will only show the good side of the car.
Massachusetts is a state of "right to repair". What does it mean and what does it mean for you and your relationship with Tesla?
This means that the consumer must have the same rights to repair the manuals, tools and software to diagnose and troubleshoot the products that he owns. From an automobile point of view, the consumer must also have access to computer equipment.
But here is the trickiest part: Tesla has no reseller. They have exhibition halls and service centers. So, technically, they are not resellers. … They have an online repair manual and charge $ 100 a day and $ 3,000 a year. If you have access to this manual, it simply tells you how to remove parts. It does not explain how to diagnose, which brings people back to the service centers.
To do things like that, they have an online portal where you have to sign up for an account. And you have to be a body shop authorized by Tesla to access it.
What are the other major challenges to realize these versions?
Availability of parts. Unfortunately, I have to wait for someone to break his car to get parts. That's why I stored parts to repair my own vehicle, in case I had to replace something on the car I had. We are in 2018 and here is the process I have to deal with.
On the other hand, what were the biggest surprises?
Once you're done, the Model S has all its appeal. Once you have driven one, you will not want to go back. In addition, they are surprisingly very easy to work with. No grease or oil. Fewer moving parts
Do you hope your channel will get more people trying to tinker with their Tesla?
Absolutely.
It is inevitable that we will see more electrification in conventional cars in the future. Where do you see things going for the secondary market and the modification?
What people do not realize is that some people hate electric vehicles. They think they can not be performance cars. But think about your first remote control car or your Power Wheel. It was an EV.
What did you learn from this trip?
Do not be afraid to fight against big companies. They listen. We have already had an impact. If a company hurts you, do not sit idly by. Start with yourself and let it take shape.
This interview was slightly modified and condensed.
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