Teskart Is the Ultimate Mini Tesla Model S
Austiwawa was able to build his own Tesla Model S for very little money. The only catch is that it’s a go-kart.
Tesla has been almost single-handedly responsible for popularizing electric cars — so much so that the Tesla name is practically synonymous with electric cars in the United States. While Teslas have a reputation for being expensive, the Tesla Model 3 is actually pretty affordable once you take federal tax credits into account. The more performance and luxury-oriented Tesla Model S, however, starts at about $80,000. That’s a hefty price tag, even if you’re doing well for yourself professionally. But YouTuber Austiwawa was able to build his own Tesla Model S for far less money. The only catch is that it’s a go-kart.
Austin started the Teskart project with a Radio Flyer Tesla Model S electric ride-on toy, which is intended for kids. It costs about $600, and has some pretty nifty features. Those include a functional “frunk” (Front Trunk), LED headlights, and even an MP3 sound system. Unfortunately, its “high speed” motor is only capable of pushing the ride-on up to about 6mph. Even that humble speed is probably difficult to achieve with a full-grown adult perched precariously on top. Austin’s only choice was to increase the power, and he definitely managed to achieve that.
Instead of trying to upgrade the Radio Flyer motor and batteries, Austin just ditched them altogether. He took a serious gas engine go-kart frame, and then grafted the Radio Flyer Tesla Model S body onto that. The new power plant is a massive Motenergy ME0907 brushless electric motor that can handle 80 continuous amps and a peak of 220 amps for one minute. That motor spins the rear axle via a chain, and gets power from a DIY battery pack. The battery pack was made from 224 individual 18650 lithium-ion cells, which are divided up into 16 modules that each have their own battery management system. A beefy Kelly Controller KLS-D speed controller sits between the batteries and the motor. At 48V, Austin was able to reach 72kph (about 45mph). He plans to upgrade to 72V, which will push that top speed up even higher.