Today, from Russia, comes the unusual story of Vladimir Kurban, who has tried to turn his old Nissan into a “Domestic Tesla“. An invention that has ended up devoured by fire.
Russian citizen Vladimir Kurban has shared his peculiar attempt to get a low-cost electric car. The original idea to recycle his old Nissan started after watching a video on YouTube explaining how to convert an internal combustion vehicle to an electric one.
With the idea in mind, the knowledge gained from Internet videos and an adaptation kit on AliExpress, Kurban had everything he needed to switch to zero-emission mobility and enjoy what he called his “home Tesla.”
The total budget to jump to the electric car amounted to 2,205 euros. With the guaranteed account, all that remained was to get to work. The first thing he did was build his knowledge online with YouTube videos while waiting for the conversion kit he had ordered from AliExpress, which was almost half of his budget.
Once the components for the conversion from ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) to EV (Electric Vehicle) were received for 1,080 euros, the essential part was missing to complete the work: the batteries.
As is well known, the batteries of an electric car are one of the most expensive components. In the Russian conversion case, Kurban opted to spend the rest of its budget on a lithium fluoropolymer battery pack.
With all the hand elements, the old Nissan was transformed into a brand new electric car once the wheel motors, inverter, controllers, and other components were installed. The vehicle traveled its first few meters without significant problems to the satisfaction of the owner.
After the first successful tests, it was time to recharge their batteries through an extension cord that connects to a socket in your home.
According to the Telegram channel Baza, which has compiled the details of the story, the Russian adventurer explained what happened next:
“There was a thunderous sound as if it were a weapon. I quickly unplugged everything, but saw that I had five or six swollen batteries. But the destruction went further”.
The low budget and the desire to cut costs when it came to enjoying his new “home Tesla” led Kurban to make a fatal mistake.
During the transformation, he did not carry out the process of insulating the batteries properly, as he acknowledged, to save a little money. After soldering the battery pack, he taped it inadvertently that there was a flash next to a damaged cell.
The result was the opposite of what the Russian enthusiast expected. His ‘new’ 100% electric Nissan was consumed by flames, ruining his project. The fire destroyed the cabin of the Nissan, leaving the car useless.
Fortunately for Korban, the engines and electronics were unscathed from the incident by being located at the vehicle’s rear
Despite the inconvenience, the Russian citizen does not give up and promises to try the transformation again next year. At least you now have a conversion kit and significant accumulated experience.