To improve the range of his Tesla Model S, a handyman engineer came up with the idea of incorporating a turbo diesel range extender!
The autonomy of electric cars is always at the center of debates. In order to achieve ever higher goals and reassure more and more customers before signing an order form, manufacturers have come up with many solutions. This includes the range extender, in which a heat engine serves as a generator. And it was precisely this solution that the DIY expert chose for his Tesla Model S.
also read
Mazda MX30 R-EV: Is its Wankel engine a good idea for a plug-in hybrid?
The Youtuber behind the Wraped Perception channel, a trained engineer and particularly gifted with his ten fingers, has therefore decided to integrate an energy generator into his Tesla Model S P85D. And not just any engine, since it has opted for a turbodiesel block that is relatively well integrated with the trunk.
Some technical glitches
With a power output of just 25 hp, ultimately enough to recharge the batteries, this Kohler diesel designed for this purpose should allow the car to further extend the autonomy of its electric sedan. In the end a successful mission, but it wasn’t easy.
Apart from the particular noise at stabilized speed and the vibrations generated by the mechanics, which are the opposite of the natural stillness of an electric car, cooling problems prevented the generator from being fully utilized. The engineer explains in his video that the engine was only working at 80% of its capacity. As a result, the goals set at the beginning could not really be achieved.
An upcoming Wankel engine for this Tesla Model S
Ultimately, the Youtuber covered a journey of 2,684 miles or 4,319 km. In detail, its hybrid system allowed a total autonomy of 2,574 km with a fully charged battery and a full diesel tank. A very good performance for a hybrid vehicle that is manufactured in the back of the garage. On the fuel economy page, he states that he used the equivalent of 77 gallons during his trip, which equates to an average consumption of 6.74 l/100 km of diesel.
also read
This tired Nissan Leaf becomes a hybrid with a motorcycle engine
In view of the disadvantages of his technical solution, the engineer has already planned a new project for his Model S: he will develop a series hybrid system with a supercharged Wankel engine as a generator. A mechanical solution that offers many advantages in the context of this application, as we have already detailed by looking at how it works under the hood of the Mazda MX-30 R-EV. But it’s not entirely certain that the end use will be as interesting as that of this small block of diesel.