From The Queen of Shitty Robots...
June 18, 2019 11:28 AM Subscribe
Now would somebody with some twitter pull please ping 4xFred and DirtHeadDave and get them up to SF to put a little lift on that thing and some 35s?
posted by carsonb at 11:38 AM on June 18, 2019
posted by carsonb at 11:38 AM on June 18, 2019
Beautiful. I want one.
Seriously, first battery electric truck not made by GM, I'm there. I've almost bought used Smith's so many times it has become a running gag in our house.
posted by BeeDo at 11:52 AM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Seriously, first battery electric truck not made by GM, I'm there. I've almost bought used Smith's so many times it has become a running gag in our house.
posted by BeeDo at 11:52 AM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
put a little lift on that thing and some 35s
It's a perfect little electro-ute as it is. No need to mess with it.
posted by zamboni at 11:53 AM on June 18, 2019
It's a perfect little electro-ute as it is. No need to mess with it.
posted by zamboni at 11:53 AM on June 18, 2019
Also, the bit where she's swinging the cord like a lasso and what happens next made me laugh out loud.
posted by BeeDo at 11:59 AM on June 18, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by BeeDo at 11:59 AM on June 18, 2019 [10 favorites]
It definitely has that Subaru Brat feel.
posted by jenkinsEar at 12:14 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by jenkinsEar at 12:14 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
I will be calling it truckula and sneaking over to install little fangs on it.
posted by poe at 12:17 PM on June 18, 2019 [21 favorites]
posted by poe at 12:17 PM on June 18, 2019 [21 favorites]
I will be calling it truckula
I can see it digging through the ditches all right, but how well will it burn through the witches?
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:22 PM on June 18, 2019 [23 favorites]
I can see it digging through the ditches all right, but how well will it burn through the witches?
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:22 PM on June 18, 2019 [23 favorites]
It's a shame Simone doesn''t do her own voice-over on the ad. She's delightful.
posted by w0mbat at 12:22 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by w0mbat at 12:22 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
The video of how they did it is also very fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKv_N0IDS2A
posted by bilabial at 12:30 PM on June 18, 2019
posted by bilabial at 12:30 PM on June 18, 2019
Oh. Wow. They scout the location for the truck commercial. This is amazing.
posted by bilabial at 12:38 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by bilabial at 12:38 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
The teardown/cutting up didn't bother me, but oh god that key-scratching bit made my soul hurt.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:55 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:55 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Such a cool project and build video. But… Utela? It's not really a truck.
posted by a halcyon day at 1:34 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by a halcyon day at 1:34 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Is she the person who had a brain tumor?
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 1:41 PM on June 18, 2019
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 1:41 PM on June 18, 2019
It's a truck.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 1:41 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 1:41 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Nevermind - I see that she is the one who had the tumor. Sorry. My brain is loopy post-surgery.
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 1:43 PM on June 18, 2019
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 1:43 PM on June 18, 2019
Is she the person who had a brain tumor?
Yes. One of her recent projects was converting her radiation treatment mask into a lamp.
posted by NoxAeternum at 1:44 PM on June 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
Yes. One of her recent projects was converting her radiation treatment mask into a lamp.
posted by NoxAeternum at 1:44 PM on June 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
Reddit, today: "actually, I'm doing ok. struggling a bit more than I'd like to admit, but I think I'm finally on the upswing. I even managed to go for a jog yesterday! only 20 minutes and must have looked like a senior escaping from a retirement home, but still."
posted by bonehead at 1:59 PM on June 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by bonehead at 1:59 PM on June 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
But… Utela?
These should already be available in Australia and New Zealand.
posted by Bee'sWing at 2:16 PM on June 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
These should already be available in Australia and New Zealand.
posted by Bee'sWing at 2:16 PM on June 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
Seriously, first battery electric truck not made by GM, I'm there.
You can pre-order now.
posted by allkindsoftime at 2:24 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
You can pre-order now.
posted by allkindsoftime at 2:24 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
This is less offensive to me than the current iteration of the Chevy Blazer.
posted by neuracnu at 2:25 PM on June 18, 2019
posted by neuracnu at 2:25 PM on June 18, 2019
Is she the person who had a brain tumor?
That would be Brian the brain tumor, who was evicted from Simone's skull about 1 year ago. Apparently he's back though. =(
posted by carsonb at 2:44 PM on June 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
That would be Brian the brain tumor, who was evicted from Simone's skull about 1 year ago. Apparently he's back though. =(
posted by carsonb at 2:44 PM on June 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
Our Makerspace shares space with people who do electric conversion, essentially it goes:
- pull the motor (leave the gearbox, just set it in 2nd, remove the shifter)
- build a mating plate and bodge an electric motor into it
- remove the cooling system and petrol tank, replace them all with batteries, balance things out front to back
- add an electric power controller and wire stuff uo
A while back I saw them make a farm tractor from an old Toyota Hilux - so electric pickups are a thing
They did this conversion check out the making of for more info
posted by mbo at 3:43 PM on June 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
- pull the motor (leave the gearbox, just set it in 2nd, remove the shifter)
- build a mating plate and bodge an electric motor into it
- remove the cooling system and petrol tank, replace them all with batteries, balance things out front to back
- add an electric power controller and wire stuff uo
A while back I saw them make a farm tractor from an old Toyota Hilux - so electric pickups are a thing
They did this conversion check out the making of for more info
posted by mbo at 3:43 PM on June 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
I have been thirsting for an urban electric truck for years - now I see there are tons of conversion kits for sale. So much easier than 10 years ago.
I believe under California law, non-functional gearboxes also need to be removed, plus the exhaust system as well. I wonder if they're worried about people doing fake conversions to save on smog check fees?
posted by muddgirl at 3:49 PM on June 18, 2019
I believe under California law, non-functional gearboxes also need to be removed, plus the exhaust system as well. I wonder if they're worried about people doing fake conversions to save on smog check fees?
posted by muddgirl at 3:49 PM on June 18, 2019
Very fun. It feels like they missed an opportunity to name it a Teslamino though, given its car origins.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 3:54 PM on June 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 3:54 PM on June 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
If I can build upon that, I suggest calling it a Tes Lamino.
posted by ejs at 4:58 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by ejs at 4:58 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Changed my mind, I want an EV converted El Camino. It would fulfill all my teenage wannabe hood/wannabe Iron Man dreams.
posted by muddgirl at 5:04 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by muddgirl at 5:04 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
E-Camino!
The front is like a Tesla,
The back is like a truck.
The front is where you drive,
The back is where you put stuff.
Plus, ElCo's came out of the same California facility as this Model 3 originally did, back in the day when it was a GM plant.
posted by MarchHare at 5:49 PM on June 18, 2019 [9 favorites]
The front is like a Tesla,
The back is like a truck.
The front is where you drive,
The back is where you put stuff.
Plus, ElCo's came out of the same California facility as this Model 3 originally did, back in the day when it was a GM plant.
posted by MarchHare at 5:49 PM on June 18, 2019 [9 favorites]
I think we have to forgive Simone for missing the obvious puns, since she is from Sweden and likely missed the glory of the El Camino heyday. They used to be all over the Bay Area in the 90s but they are rare to spot today.
posted by muddgirl at 6:15 PM on June 18, 2019
posted by muddgirl at 6:15 PM on June 18, 2019
I always loved Grandpa's El Camino. He must have, too, since he kept it around until he died some years into the new millennium, despite only taking it out a few times a year for most of that time, especially after he got his Mark VIII and stopped taking the occasional El Camino pleasure cruise. It still did a good job of hauling the riding mower and other bulky stuff, though.
My only problem with it was that the passenger cabin was excessively cramped. Not in the sense you couldn't fit, but even at 8 years old it just seemed full and a bit overbearing, probably because of the huge slab of a dash.
posted by wierdo at 6:16 PM on June 18, 2019
My only problem with it was that the passenger cabin was excessively cramped. Not in the sense you couldn't fit, but even at 8 years old it just seemed full and a bit overbearing, probably because of the huge slab of a dash.
posted by wierdo at 6:16 PM on June 18, 2019
This is heartening. The Truckla is also surprisingly pretty after all of that. Simone also looks cute as a cowgirl.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:28 PM on June 18, 2019
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:28 PM on June 18, 2019
Jalopnik commenter-in-the-grays Matong Zongtong clearly wins the naming contest with their submission "Elon Camino." I love El Caminos and very much don't love Elon Musk but this is certainly the most efficient and descriptive pun.
posted by ejs at 6:58 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by ejs at 6:58 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
My only problem with [Grandpa's El Camino] was that the passenger cabin was excessively cramped.
I owned a beautiful 1986 El Camino when I lived in LA from 2003–2005, and thanks to its bench seat, I could carry two passengers with me. It's very weird these days to be able to sit three abreast in a car! And all three of us had seatbelts to boot.
I finally sold it for salvage when the electrical system gave out, so Giertz's project is giving me Conflicting Feelings.
posted by ejs at 7:06 PM on June 18, 2019
I owned a beautiful 1986 El Camino when I lived in LA from 2003–2005, and thanks to its bench seat, I could carry two passengers with me. It's very weird these days to be able to sit three abreast in a car! And all three of us had seatbelts to boot.
I finally sold it for salvage when the electrical system gave out, so Giertz's project is giving me Conflicting Feelings.
posted by ejs at 7:06 PM on June 18, 2019
It wasn't that there was insufficient room in the El Camino, it's that there was a giant dashboard that somehow felt like it was three inches from your face. I never felt the same about similar truck dashboards of the era, probably because of the steeper windshield of small pickup trucks of the era giving it a different feeling despite having less cabin volume.
posted by wierdo at 7:16 PM on June 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by wierdo at 7:16 PM on June 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
This is pretty neat and you can't tell from the commercial that it's not quite done yet! I look forward to the follow-up video with the rest of the improvements Simone wants to make.
I'd also love to see a more in-depth video of the work done on the truck while Marcos was working on it alone, because I love build videos and I want the gritty details!
posted by chrominance at 7:32 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'd also love to see a more in-depth video of the work done on the truck while Marcos was working on it alone, because I love build videos and I want the gritty details!
posted by chrominance at 7:32 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
My Partner and I have been discussing how much we'd love to have a Tesla RV to hit the roads with... and if feasible, perhaps with some solar panels on the roof to add a bit extra power when camping somewhere?
T'was just a fanciful wish/dream, but this Truckla makes one wonder if such a thing would indeed be possible to create...
posted by Jade Dragon at 8:02 PM on June 18, 2019
T'was just a fanciful wish/dream, but this Truckla makes one wonder if such a thing would indeed be possible to create...
posted by Jade Dragon at 8:02 PM on June 18, 2019
I'm curious about what they had to do to get the computer on board with the new configuration. Have to wonder if there actually was any back-and-forth with Tesla, given that the car snitched on them early on when they removed the rear seat belts.
- put a little lift on that thing and some 35s?
- It's a perfect little electro-ute as it is. No need to mess with it.
- It definitely has that Subaru Brat feel.
Has the Brat look, and the same concept as Mighty Car Mods' Subarute. Anyway, I generally agree about the look but Giertz admitted at the very end of her build video that she wanted to raise it just a smidge and I immediately thought of the DED guys. They wanna put 35's on everything! Tires that big tend to eat up torque though, and I wonder how that would work with the e-motors. If axles won't be snapping (since there aren't any), then what part would be the fail point when trying to turn big rubber with little e-motors?
posted by carsonb at 9:15 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
- put a little lift on that thing and some 35s?
- It's a perfect little electro-ute as it is. No need to mess with it.
- It definitely has that Subaru Brat feel.
Has the Brat look, and the same concept as Mighty Car Mods' Subarute. Anyway, I generally agree about the look but Giertz admitted at the very end of her build video that she wanted to raise it just a smidge and I immediately thought of the DED guys. They wanna put 35's on everything! Tires that big tend to eat up torque though, and I wonder how that would work with the e-motors. If axles won't be snapping (since there aren't any), then what part would be the fail point when trying to turn big rubber with little e-motors?
posted by carsonb at 9:15 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Good news, Jade Dragon! Modern RVs (vans, boats, similar) can carry anywhere from 100-1000w(ish) solar and banks of LiOn batteries. It's fairly standard and it's pretty cool. It's possible to boondock (live off-grid but still have lights, TV, device charging, cooking; AC is still a little bit of a stretch as it's hard to get it under 1000 watts) for days or weeks, depending on the weather.
Unfortunately, the weight of an RV or other decent van-size hauler like a Sprinter or Promaster (the most common conversion vans in the US right now, about the smallest thing that you can stand up in and contain a queen-ish mattress, kitchen, and a bit of storage) precludes a hybrid or full-electric powertrain.
This stuff is super cool and exists now, you don't have to wait for the future (except for the air conditioning). Most higher-end systems are wired into the alternator as well, so you're charging your leisure battery bank while you drive.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:22 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Unfortunately, the weight of an RV or other decent van-size hauler like a Sprinter or Promaster (the most common conversion vans in the US right now, about the smallest thing that you can stand up in and contain a queen-ish mattress, kitchen, and a bit of storage) precludes a hybrid or full-electric powertrain.
This stuff is super cool and exists now, you don't have to wait for the future (except for the air conditioning). Most higher-end systems are wired into the alternator as well, so you're charging your leisure battery bank while you drive.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:22 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
This was great. As the sort of person who watches Project Binky, I really wish they'd gone more in-depth on the build -- the detailed video cut from "let's take an angle-grinder and saw to the frame" to "Here's a bunch of welded and riveted frame members that appeared instantly!" I mean, kudos to Giertz for what I interpret as using her clout with sponsors to bring in some smart, talented people, give them money/workspace, and turn them loose to do cool things.
I do like how Wintergatan/Martin is doing the Marble Machine X, for an example of documentation of a project with collaboration from other youtube-famous people: he arranges to release pairs of videos with the external collaborators, so, as a viewer you get "Here's Martin attaching some new bits and bobs to the Rube Goldberg marble contraption that was made by another Youtube-famous person" and in parallel, "Here's a link to that Youtube-famous person showing what they did in more detail, if you're into the detail." Of course, the Wintergatan project has been spread over several years and Martin has the luxury of one video per week, whereas Simone was trying to do this all in about a month of work-days, with a single camera crew and creators in a rented shop, not their own digs (good luck shipping Tesla-truck-conversion parts in a FedEx box, ha).
posted by Alterscape at 9:34 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
I do like how Wintergatan/Martin is doing the Marble Machine X, for an example of documentation of a project with collaboration from other youtube-famous people: he arranges to release pairs of videos with the external collaborators, so, as a viewer you get "Here's Martin attaching some new bits and bobs to the Rube Goldberg marble contraption that was made by another Youtube-famous person" and in parallel, "Here's a link to that Youtube-famous person showing what they did in more detail, if you're into the detail." Of course, the Wintergatan project has been spread over several years and Martin has the luxury of one video per week, whereas Simone was trying to do this all in about a month of work-days, with a single camera crew and creators in a rented shop, not their own digs (good luck shipping Tesla-truck-conversion parts in a FedEx box, ha).
posted by Alterscape at 9:34 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm not familiar with Tesla's safety systems - I think I'll have to catch up with some Rich Rebuilds content - but usually you can bypass these kinds of sensors with a little bit of hardware to mock up whatever it's looking for. It can be as simple as a jumper loop to fake continuity.
posted by muddgirl at 9:37 PM on June 18, 2019
posted by muddgirl at 9:37 PM on June 18, 2019
Everything I do is now stupid and pointless, because this exists.
posted by aramaic at 9:41 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by aramaic at 9:41 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
These types of conversions are fairly common in Simone's native Sweden where until recently there hasn't been a huge market for pickups. OK, not Teslas maybe, but Saabs and Volvos. There is also a tradition for converting cars into vehicles registered as tractor, with short wheelbases, limited transmissions and solid rear axles to be driven around the countryside by unlicensed teenagers.
posted by St. Oops at 9:53 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Oops at 9:53 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
I mean, kudos to Giertz for what I interpret as using her clout with sponsors to bring in some smart, talented people, give them money/workspace, and turn them loose to do cool things.
I think this is less sponsor driven and more thanks to the collaborative nature of Maker YouTube.
This is such a fantastic project!
posted by ellieBOA at 10:53 PM on June 18, 2019
I think this is less sponsor driven and more thanks to the collaborative nature of Maker YouTube.
This is such a fantastic project!
posted by ellieBOA at 10:53 PM on June 18, 2019
Yes -- to be clear was not saying it's anything other than fantastic. I just want to see more!
I think this is less sponsor driven and more thanks to the collaborative nature of Maker YouTube.
I've seen makers from different parts of Western Europe get together for joint projects (e.g.: Ivan Miranda and everybody) but flying in folks to San Francisco from overseas, hiring at least two film crews (the one filming her, and the one filming the faux-commercial), etc, suggests a lot of resources, compared to earlier videos. Which is awesome! Simone is great and I'm glad she's getting a chance to do stuff like this and share it with us.
posted by Alterscape at 11:19 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
I think this is less sponsor driven and more thanks to the collaborative nature of Maker YouTube.
I've seen makers from different parts of Western Europe get together for joint projects (e.g.: Ivan Miranda and everybody) but flying in folks to San Francisco from overseas, hiring at least two film crews (the one filming her, and the one filming the faux-commercial), etc, suggests a lot of resources, compared to earlier videos. Which is awesome! Simone is great and I'm glad she's getting a chance to do stuff like this and share it with us.
posted by Alterscape at 11:19 PM on June 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
muddgirl, in a DIY conversion like mbo mentioned, the gearbox and rest of the driveline is still functional, so it could be left intact. Which is great! It makes conversions much easier because you're just replacing one motor with another.
posted by a halcyon day at 9:43 AM on June 19, 2019
posted by a halcyon day at 9:43 AM on June 19, 2019
It looks like Rich is posting his Truckla video right now (using YouTube Premiers feature). Dammit Rich I have work today.
I keep wanting to call it Truckula.
posted by muddgirl at 11:15 AM on June 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
I keep wanting to call it Truckula.
posted by muddgirl at 11:15 AM on June 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
« Older You Built a Time Machine... Out of a DeLorean? | fun to funky Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by carsonb at 11:36 AM on June 18, 2019 [8 favorites]