Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

This Tesla Model S was turned into a motor home and could break a world record

Ronan Glon
By
1 of 2
Tesla Roamer
Travis Rabenberg
Tesla Roamer
Travis Rabenberg

An experimental Tesla Model S converted into a motor home will headline an April 17 event organized by the state of Michigan to promote electric and hybrid cars. The zero-emissions camper is the brainchild of world-traveling author Travis Rabenberg.

So far, Rabenberg has only released a pair of computer-generated images of his Tesla hotel. It takes little more than a quick glance at it to tell the Model S has undergone extensive modifications. The most obvious change is the camper box that replaces the sedan’s rear end. The top part of it pops up, Westfalia-style, to reveal a roof-mounted tent. There is also a sizable solar panel on the top, presumably to power accessories like the A/C.

Related Videos

The updates don’t stop there. It looks like the Model S has received a suspension lift, and it rides on beefy off-road tires wrapped around aftermarket alloy wheels. Roof-mounted spotlights illuminate the road ahead when the stock LEDs aren’t enough, giving us a glimpse at what a rally-spec Tesla would look like. There’s no word yet on which Model S variant Rabenberg started with, but he hopes the motor home will achieve 150 mph and travel for up to 200 miles on a single charge. The camper box adds weight and reduces sedan’s drag coefficient, so 200 miles is an impressive achievement.

Related

Why go through the trouble of turning an electric luxury sedan into a motor home? According to a statement released by the state of Michigan, Rabenberg hopes to break the Guinness-certified land speed record for an electric motorhome. Reaching 150 mph should help him achieve that goal, and his Tesla might even become the quickest motorhome regardless of powertrain type, but he hasn’t revealed where or when the test will take place yet.

Rabenberg’s electric motorhome is still at the prototype stage. When it’s complete, it will embark on an epic trip between an unspecified location in England and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where it will lead a parade of electric cars into the World Expo 2020. That’s at least a 4,500-mile, 71-hour drive, but the good news is Rabenberg won’t need to worry about finding a place to sleep.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
How much does an electric car battery cost?
electrify america evgo and chargepoint interoperability agreement for electric car charging station

Electric cars are often hailed as being cheaper to operate and repair than gas-powered cars. It makes sense — on the operation side, you only need to pay for electricity (not gasoline), and on the repair side, there’s no motor or transmission to deal with.

But electric cars have other costly repairs, and while in total they do generally cost less than repairs for gasoline cars, it’s worth knowing about the potential costs ahead of time. Perhaps the most obvious, and one of the most costly, has to do with an electric car’s battery. After all, while all cars have batteries, those in electric cars are far bigger and more advanced — and thus can cost quite a bit to replace.
How much does an electric car battery cost?

Read more
Tesla Cybertruck prototype spotted with minor changes
A Tesla Cybertruck prototype.

What appears to be a new Tesla Cybertruck prototype has been spotted testing on public roads.

As relayed by Electrek, Twitter user Greg posted a photo Thursday showing a Cybertruck with a different front-end design from what we've seen previously. The front bumper has a more distinct rectangular opening, possibly for cooling. This prototype also has triangular side mirrors, as opposed to the squared-off ones seen previously.

Read more
Why you should consider a plug-in hybrid in 2023
2020 audi q5 tfsi e first drive review phev 19

EVs are all the rage — and it makes sense. Electric vehicles allow you to avoid high gas prices and feel good about not impacting the environment as much, plus they’re usually sleek, stylish, and fast.

But in 2023, owning an EV isn’t for everyone. After all, charging stations, while improving, still aren’t as common as they should be -- and depending on your car, they sometimes aren’t all that fast. If you’re worried about those issues, there’s an alternative — a plug-in hybrid (also known as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or PHEV). These are cars that essentially offer the best of both worlds: A battery and electric motor for quick, clean trips around town, and a gas engine for longer road trips.
What makes a PHEV so great?

Read more