
Transforming a Tesla Model 3 into a Pickup Truck - Tomte
https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/18/18682633/simone-giertz-tesla-model-3-pickup-truck-youtube-diy
======
falcolas
> It wasn’t a project without its obstacles. After stripping the backseat and
> the trunk of its many parts, the Model 3 refused to start. Ramirez explained
> that the car was reporting “all of its many faults” to Tesla headquarters
> via cell connection, or essentially “snitching” on the YouTubers who were
> trying to modify it.

I started the article expecting to see this. That said, I'm glad Tesla was
good enough to "certify" their changes. I'm also curious what it took to get
around the software lockdown; any links or pointers?

~~~
VectorLock
It leaves a bad taste in my mouth that you can pay so much for an object and
you essentially don't truly own it and can't do whatever you want with it
without it phoning home and asking permission from its true owners who can
capriciously brick your device for any reason they want.

~~~
falcolas
Based off their actions in the past, Tesla will do as much as they legally can
to avoid bad press due to accidents in a Tesla. And if you are in a publicly
covered accident, you can be sure that data will be used against you in the
court of public opinion (see "he took his hands off the wheel prior to the
accident" comment from Tesla about the gore-impact fatality).

~~~
toomuchequate
That is the PR reason.

The real reason is aftermarket changes/repairs/services.

Tesla wants 100% of that business, reminds me of Apple.

~~~
r00fus
They both have the same schtick - create a walled garden then restrict access.

It results in predictable outcomes:

* products that are beautiful and in some ways without peer

* key parts/issues are only addressable through their service channel

* exclusivity of membership for better/worse.

* higher profit margins and healthy overall profit despite lower market share

------
itronitron
I was expecting a disaster but it actually looks cool, like an updated Subaru
Brat. I can see this becoming a trend, it definitely makes a statement.

~~~
ghaff
It does look cool. TBH, I've never thought much of these pickup truck/car
hybrids (which have a fairly long history) from a practical perspective. You
get a car without a lot of interior space and a pickup bed that is too small
for a lot of purposes. But it's a nice aesthetic.

~~~
rhinoceraptor
There are a lot of people who don't need backseats, don't need a full-size
pickup for towing or very heavy items, but need to be able to carry 4x8 sheet
goods, large furniture, or sports equipment like bikes, kayaks, etc.

IMO there are very few people who actually need a pickup truck for towing or
very large/bulky items, but they're still very popular since there aren't
great alternatives in the US due to the chicken tax.

~~~
glaurung_
I really wish someone would bring back truly small trucks like the old
Rangers, or even something like an el Camino. Having a truck is really nice
sometimes, but driving a tank around every day seems just silly.

~~~
jessaustin
I agree, but I'd be somewhat satisfied if trucks just weren't so damn tall
now. It sucks to have to climb into or flop up onto the side of the bed just
to reach your tools. Lots of older trucks weren't made this way.

------
th0ma5
A fake commercial they made
[https://youtu.be/R35gWBtLCYg](https://youtu.be/R35gWBtLCYg) but the whole
thing is fairly worth watching.

------
rjmunro
Reminds me of the Model S shooting brake (station wagon)
[https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-s-shooting-brake-
featu...](https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-s-shooting-brake-features-
cost-explained/), which I saw on display recently.

------
nrki
Impressive work.

Looks a lot like the sedan-like Australian Utes
([https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nmBx_EY3UnM/maxresdefault.jpg](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nmBx_EY3UnM/maxresdefault.jpg))
that are quite popular there.

~~~
bigtones
That's the first thing that came to my mind too when I saw it - looks like a
Holden or Ford Ute from Oz. Her dog is an Australian Blue Heeler too.

------
Theodores
What are the economics of the YouTuber when it comes to this?

If the videos bring in $x thousand a week from adverts then is that how it all
works?

Then get Rich from Rich Rebuilds in so subscribers get added to both channels?

If the car is paid for over a period of a loan then the revenue stream from
the YouTube income pays, but, to the viewer, it looks like a $50K car has been
hacked to pieces.

I do find it cool how Rich from Rich Rebuilds is now the expert. I am sure he
feels impostor syndrome with that but he has put the work in and deserves his
celebrity status.

If anyone has any guestimate numbers on how this works out as a business
proposition then I would very much like to know. If it is lucrative then I
just might have to do myself a 'Tesla campervan YouTube series'...

~~~
cagenut
I don't know the youtube economics of it, but she has 6000 patrons paying $3 -
$5/month to support doing things like this.
[https://www.patreon.com/simonegiertz/overview](https://www.patreon.com/simonegiertz/overview)

~~~
Theodores
That is real money!

So after Patreon take off their 8% that is $250K per year.

Then the views from the videos. Becoming a millionaire from a video channel
that is just about yourself is ridiculous.

Anyway, I won't be subscribing. I prefer stock English rather than spoken with
'upspeak'. Someone just talking about themselves with every sentence ending
with 'upspeak' makes me find something better to do.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_rising_terminal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_rising_terminal)

~~~
jakobegger
For people who don't run a business 250k per year sounds like a lot. But after
paying employees and contractors, office space, workshop space, materials,
equipment, insurance, airfare, taxes, ... I'm not sure that there's enough
left to call them a millionaire.

------
La-ang
Still looks Shitty to me :D

~~~
groovybits
Looks like those downvoting your comment do not understand the reference.

Simone's 'claim to fame' was originally on the r/ShittyRobots subreddit, where
she posted examples of her robots that performed tasks in a humorous
("shitty") manner, but obviously required exceptional engineering and design
skills to create. She is quite famous there.

~~~
La-ang
I didn't even notice the downvote. How can you tell? and thanks for your
reference.

~~~
groovybits
Typically when a comment turns a grey color, that means its been downvoted.

------
ianamartin
Simone Giertz is a human treasure.

~~~
SN76477
She is doing great work and having a lot of fun.

Im sure she has a bright future.

~~~
ianamartin
She's had one bout with brain cancer and I believe is in her second round with
it. I sincerely hope she does have a future.

------
borkt
Saw a similar looking Tesla modified into a truck being trailered in Windsor,
CA last week. Tried to grab a photo but couldn't get a good one. Anyone else
seen it?

~~~
dredmorbius
Windsor could be (near) where the shoot happened. It's likely you saw Simone
and/or her team.

Dark grey van? See 25m20s here:
[https://youtube.com/watch?v=jKv_N0IDS2A](https://youtube.com/watch?v=jKv_N0IDS2A)

~~~
borkt
Definitely could have been it.

------
irrational
> I feel like I should pad this a little bit, but I’m not going to. f oil
> companies. Seriously, f them.

Aren't a ton of the parts that make up a Tesla petroleum by-products?

~~~
sorenjan
She also says in the video that she's flying to New York, Hawaii, and New
Zealand. Try doing that without oil.

~~~
romwell
Using oil does not mean approving of everything oil companies do. Especially
when there are not alternatives for things like flying.

"Being an oil company" is not necessarily an inherently bad thing. Being one
of the major oil companies in 2019 is -- but that will, hopefully, change.

~~~
irrational
I know people who have given up flying for this very reason. She could have
chosen not to go and to conduct any business over the internet (I'm assuming
she was flying for business and not for pleasure).

------
RickJWagner
Reminds me of an El Camino I had once.

A friend remarked "It's not much of a truck. But then again, it's not much of
a car either!"

------
pvaldes
Looks nice, but I wonder how this will stand the humidity and time test
respect to a unmodified tesla. Electric and water does not mix and this looks
like a red carpet for rainwater. I hope they will be meticulous in this aspect
and seal carefully.

~~~
CGamesPlay
Simone has a pretty stellar track record of creating high-quality and durable
products. For some more of her work, check this video exposition:
[https://youtu.be/O61wJPNJgZQ](https://youtu.be/O61wJPNJgZQ)

~~~
MegaButts
Is this a joke? Most of her inventions are purposefully designed to fail, and
they do that extremely well (I believe she is very talented both as an
entertainer and a builder). But as far as I know she has zero experience
building long-lasting products that stand the test of time.

I'm not saying she can't do it or won't figure it out - but your comment
honestly seems more like an argument to the contrary to me.

~~~
jakobegger
I'm pretty sure that the comment you replied to was meant as a joke.

------
m3kw9
Weight distribution could create safety issue. The Tesla doesn’t have a 1/2
ton motor to balance the back side if you carry another 1/2 ton.

~~~
elihu
That could be an issue, but considering the car weighs about four thousand
pounds in its stock configuration, it's probably okay.

------
ourmandave
I'd call it a Ev Camino instead of a pickup.

------
kemiller
It looks great. I wonder about the impact safety after cutting the c pillars.

~~~
JshWright
They built a solid looking roll-cage into the rear half of the vehicle
(alongside and under the bed, as well as the roll-hoop behind the seats). One
of the major contributors to the project has a background in building race
cars, so presumably they've got the safety aspect covered.

------
agumonkey
I'd so put a long solar roof on that ._.

------
iamtheworstdev
I believe that is called a "coupe utility", like the Subaru Baja and such.

------
api
Just needs truck nutz.

------
fhood
This is a cool, fun and obviously impractical project. It makes for good
content and showcases some interesting engineering and fabrication skills.

So could someone please explain to me what is to be gained by posting comments
complaining about the use of the word "generation" or the exact definition of
"truck"?

~~~
cp9
because they are nitpicking in a sexist way. it's the same reason people are
doubting how much work she "actually did" on the project

people should just embrace it as a cool, slightly ridiculous project that
turned out well.

~~~
tomatotomato37
I doubt it is sexism, HN tends to be fairly equal in its pointless
bikeshedding

~~~
cp9
You think if adam savage had done this project he would be subject to
questions about how much work he did or whether it’s a pickup or a ute?

~~~
lawnchair_larry
Yes. Not only do they do that for men, but Elon specifically, and even calling
him out on taking credit for work that an uncredited woman working for him
did.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18093145](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18093145)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19636499](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19636499)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20078510](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20078510)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9812261](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9812261)

------
danmg
Terry would not approve.

------
sleepybrett
Would have been more interesting to take an old el camino and convert it to
electric. Also way cooler.

~~~
icebraining
They didn't want to steal your thunder.

------
alexlrobertson
Other than converting the trunk and passenger area into a cargo area, this
hardly classifies as a truck. It appears that little was done to improve the
vehicles handling off-road. The wheels and tires look to be stock meaning no
gains in traction. No mention of suspension or ground clearance which means it
will still be limited to fairly well groomed and paved roads. But as I'm
familiar with Simone's content so I'm aware this is pretty tongue in cheek.

~~~
kayfox
Do you really need off road performance to drive around San Francisco these
days?

~~~
s1mon
Well as someone with a Mini Cooper with low-profile run-flat tires, I can tell
you that SF potholes will destroy road cars. I’ve had two (expensive) tires
ruined, and it started rattling like hell from all the shocks soon after we
got it. Maybe full off-road with a lift kit is overkill, but sometimes I
wonder.

