A Tesla Model Y owner hooked a generator to his car for a trip to Everest

In China, the owner of a Tesla Model Y prepared his electric car for a trip to the high mountains of Tibet by turning it into a kind of hybrid with Extended Range Electric Vehicle. The reason is the lack of charging infrastructure on the way to the viewing platform at the foot of Mount Everest and further along the route through sparsely populated areas.

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The solution turned out to be simple but workable: a petrol generator with an additional number plate is mounted on the rear of the Model Y. The generator is not used permanently, but works as a backup power source at remote points along the route.

At an altitude of about 5,300 metres, the unit produced 3 kW - enough to add about 19 kilometres of range per hour. Charging is only possible in a car park, so from a technical point of view this is not an EREV, but rather an autonomous energy module.

The generator cost 2,800 yuan (about $390) and fuel costs about 1 yuan (14 cents) per kilometre of travel. The owner emphasises that he only uses it when there are no charging stations.

After the successful trip to Everest, the owner of the Tesla Model Y intends to continue travelling to remote areas of Tibet. An electric car with a backup power source proved to be not the most environmentally friendly, but a practical way to overcome the limitations of charging infrastructure.

Source: Carnewschina