The Tesla Model X is an all-electric SUV. It’s built for driving long distances without gas, and it has some unique door design that helps it stand out.
Accelerate Auto is the company sponsoring the show and offering an extended warranty plan for EVs. The host says you can tailor the coverage to your needs.
XCare is the name of the warranty plan being promoted. It’s meant to help cover repairs after the original warranty, and you can choose what parts are covered.
This means the warranty can cover the EV’s main battery and the power system that helps move the car. Those parts can be costly, so people often pay extra to include them.
The claim process is how you ask the company to pay you back (or pay for repairs) when something covered breaks. The host is saying it’s straightforward and fast.
A solar panel converts sunlight into electricity. In this context, the owner uses solar power to run or support equipment (like the Starlink mini) while traveling.
A solar array is basically multiple solar panels working together. In this case, it’s mounted on the hood to help generate electricity for the journey.
Tesla Superchargers are Tesla’s fast charging stations. The owner is saying this trip includes areas where those stations don’t exist, so they can’t rely on them.
They’re saying charging wasn’t straightforward on that route. When there aren’t many chargers, you have to plan extra carefully so you don’t run out of power.
Mito Solar is a company that makes custom solar setups for outdoor trips and events. Here, they supplied the solar panels the owner installed on the car.
The Ford Expedition is a large SUV meant for carrying lots of people or gear. It’s often used when someone needs extra space for special equipment. The podcast context suggests they were working on custom add-ons for an Expedition, likely for a solar or racing-related project.
Watts are a measure of how much power the solar panels can make. “300 watts” means the panels can produce up to around 300 watts when the sun is strong.
An “eight kilowatt system” is how big your home solar setup is, measured in kilowatts. It’s a way to describe how much electricity the solar panels can potentially produce.
A frunk is the front storage compartment of the car. The speaker says when they open it, they have to push it up manually, which suggests it isn’t working normally in that moment.
For an EV, “range” means how many miles or kilometers you can drive before the battery runs low. Things like cold weather, driving fast, and using lots of power can make the range drop.
Overlanding means taking a long trip in more remote areas, often where services like charging are limited. For EVs, it usually requires extra planning and sometimes backup power.
In an EV, “high voltage” is the big battery power that runs the car. The speaker is saying they didn’t use that much and instead used solar to keep things going.
The battery pack is the EV’s main battery system. The speaker is saying there’s still some energy left even when it seems like the battery is basically empty.
A “reserve” is extra battery energy the car keeps back for safety. It helps prevent the battery from being fully drained and keeps the car from shutting off unexpectedly.
“Trickle charging” is slow charging—adding a little power over a long time. The speaker is saying the solar panels didn’t fully recharge the car, but they added enough to help them get through the moment.
A tow truck is what you call when a car can’t keep going and needs to be pulled to safety or a repair place. In remote areas, getting a tow can be harder than usual.
The Ford Falcon is a Ford car model. In the podcast snippet, the speaker is talking about changing the tires to all-terrain ones and choosing a specific wheel size. That’s usually done to improve traction and how the car handles on different roads.
A slide-out system is a mechanism that lets part of the vehicle’s interior (like a kitchen) extend outward for use, then retract for travel. In overland setups, it’s a common way to add functional space without permanently sacrificing cargo room.
They’re talking about a Rivian electric pickup prototype (the R1T) and an idea Rivian had for building a kitchen that could slide out. It’s an example of different ways EVs can be set up for road trips.
Term
gear tunnel
A “gear tunnel” is a raised area in the middle of the vehicle where mechanical parts run. They’re saying Rivian considered using that area to fit a kitchen module.
They previously traveled full-time in a Tesla Model 3, but it was too small for what they wanted to build. That’s why they later switched to a Model X for more room.
Induction is a cooking method where the stove heats the pan using magnetism. It’s usually cleaner and more controllable than some other portable cooking setups.
“Plug and play” means something is easy to set up and start using right away. The speaker is saying the solar setup worked with little hassle.
Concept
living on the open road
“Living on the open road” refers to a travel lifestyle where someone spends extended time driving and staying on the move rather than returning to a fixed home base. The speaker connects it to meeting people and learning skills while traveling.
The Tesla Cybertruck is an electric pickup truck. Here, the host is saying a friend lives out of one while traveling or working.
Concept
custom kitchens
“Custom kitchens” here means a built-in or tailored cooking setup inside a vehicle, likely designed for portability and daily use while traveling. It’s mentioned as something the friend builds for EV testers and Rivian owners.
Concept
mattress
They’re talking about putting a mattress inside the vehicle so they can sleep there. The question is basically how they fit sleeping and cooking gear together.
The Tesla Model Y is an electric SUV. The owner is using cushions made for the Model Y to turn part of the car into a place to sleep while traveling.
Concept
customs and border checkpoints
Customs and border checkpoints are where you’re checked when you drive into another country. The owner says their car setup looks normal, so it doesn’t draw extra attention.
The “sub trunk cover” is a panel that covers a storage compartment in the back of the car. People can reuse it as a handy surface when they’re traveling.
Concept
wait like half a year for your order
They’re talking about how long it took to get the car after ordering it. Sometimes the factory can’t build cars fast enough, so delivery can take months.
Free charging means you can charge the battery without paying (or paying much less) at certain times or programs. It matters because charging can be one of the biggest ongoing costs on an EV trip.
The Dalton Highway is a remote highway in Alaska that’s commonly used for overland trips to very cold, isolated regions. It’s mentioned as the main road the speaker initially thought existed for driving through Alaska.
The speaker is emphasizing an EV “first” achievement—being the first electric vehicle to complete that particular long-distance route. It highlights how EVs can be used for extreme, long-haul travel, not just local commuting.
Coolant is the fluid that carries heat away from the car’s systems, helping prevent overheating. In an EV, it’s used to manage temperatures for components like the battery and power electronics, so low coolant can be a serious warning sign.
An air compressor is a device that makes compressed air for certain car functions. Here, it also makes the coolant area harder to access and visually check.
Tesla Service is Tesla’s own shop network for repairs and checkups. They looked at the car to see if there was a problem causing the coolant to be low.
A visual inspection means the technician looks closely at the car for signs of trouble. They’re checking for obvious clues like leaks or damage you can see.
They checked for a coolant leak and didn’t see one. That’s good news, because leaks can be a sign of a part that needs repair.
Term
very blue
They mention the coolant was still “very blue,” meaning it looked like the right coolant. Color can help confirm the fluid is still in good shape and not mixed with something else.
EVs are electric cars that use a battery and an electric motor instead of gas. The speaker is saying the trip helps people see what electric cars are capable of.
They’re saying they met a top Tesla executive responsible for Latin America. The point is that Tesla was actively involved and supportive during the trip.
They’re talking about the car being able to connect wirelessly while they’re traveling. That lets the owner (and sometimes Tesla) check on the car or interact with it remotely.
Premium Connectivity is an add-on that gives the car extra internet-connected features. In this conversation, the key point is that without that connectivity, you can’t reliably check the car unless Starlink is working.
They mean the map screen inside the car. When they travel outside certain areas, the car can show where they are, but it can’t load the maps needed to route you to a destination.
FSD means “Full Self-Driving.” It’s Tesla software that helps the car drive more on its own, but you still have to pay attention and be ready to take over.
The Tesla Model S is Tesla’s electric sedan, positioned above the Model 3 and below the Model X in the lineup. The speaker groups Model S and Model X together, implying both have matured through software updates and ownership experience.
They’re talking about changing the navigation maps the car uses. If you travel to another country, the car may need different map data so directions and locations work correctly.
Term
UI
UI just means the car’s screen menus and buttons you use. They want a simple option in the screen to change the navigation/maps.
Company
Tesla Latham
They’re reaching out to a specific Tesla contact/location called “Tesla Latham.” The goal is to get help with a problem that seems related to the car’s software settings.
They’re saying this might be controlled by a setting in the car’s software. If it’s a software toggle, it should be fixable without changing any hardware.
“Hardware three” is the computer inside the Tesla that powers the self-driving features. A newer computer can help the car “see” and process the road better.
Speed bumps are the raised parts in the road meant to make cars slow down. If they’re not marked clearly, an automated driving system may not handle them as smoothly.
Concept
public facilities
They’re talking about using public places instead of having everything available in the car. On long trips, you often have to plan around what bathrooms and showers are available where you stop.
Term
24/7
“24/7” just means something is open all the time—day and night. They’re saying there are lots of places open around the clock.
“Falcon wing” doors are the special doors on the Tesla Model X that open upward instead of outward. They can make it easier to enter and exit the car, especially when parking is tight.
They’re talking about charging their Tesla at Tesla’s fast-charging stations. These chargers can put a lot of energy into the battery quickly, which helps on road trips.
Fast chargers are special charging stations that can refill an EV’s battery much quicker than regular chargers. They’re especially useful when you’re driving long distances.
Topic
traveling through the Americas
They’re talking about driving a long distance across many countries in the Americas.
“Charged on solar” means they used sunlight (solar panels) to make electricity to recharge the car. It’s a way to travel without always needing a charging station.
On the Model X, the rear doors open upward like wings. The speaker is saying early versions had some door problems, but newer ones seem to work better.
“First iterations” just means the earliest versions when something is new. Those early cars can have more problems, so the speaker is saying they waited for the improved versions.
The Pan American Highway is a major road route that stretches across a lot of the Americas. The speaker is saying their worst problem happened on a detour rather than directly on that main route.
Elevation gain means the road goes uphill and you climb higher. Going uphill can make an electric car use more energy, so it can affect how far you can drive.
The Ford Escape is a small SUV made by Ford. The speaker is saying they owned a 2011 one before they got into Tesla cars.
Concept
worst traffic
Some places have traffic that’s stressful and unpredictable. When that happens, drivers have to pay extra attention and adjust how they move through gaps and intersections.
Concept
mingle through traffic
This is describing how people weave and merge in traffic instead of driving in a very orderly way. In that kind of environment, you have to be extra careful and watch what other cars are doing.
Concept
be aggressive
Aggressive driving means driving more forcefully—like taking tighter gaps and reacting faster than usual. It can feel like it moves traffic along, but it’s riskier because there’s less margin for mistakes.
Defensive driving means you drive in a way that protects you if other people make mistakes. It usually involves leaving more space and being ready for sudden changes in traffic.
They’re talking about taking an electric car on a long trip across different countries. The message is that it’s possible and can be a great experience.
An electric vehicle is a car that runs on electricity from a battery. Instead of buying gas, you charge it—so long trips usually require some planning for charging stops.
They’re discussing how hard it can be to transport a car—like by truck or ship—once it’s already been used. With EVs, some companies are pickier about shipping used cars, especially if they have lots of miles.
They’re talking about the risk of the car’s battery overheating and starting a fire during shipping. Even though EVs are built to be safe, companies still use precautions to lower the risk.
Shipping lines are the companies that move cars by boat. The point here is that some of them may not yet have EV-specific safety routines down perfectly.
Adapters are small accessories that let your electric car plug into different types of charging stations. If you’re traveling far, you may run into chargers with different plug shapes.
This is a recurring podcast segment where the hosts share a practical tip. It’s not a technical automotive concept, but it frames the following content as actionable advice.
A “virtual wrap” is a digital design that looks like a vinyl wrap on the car. Instead of putting anything on the paint, you create/preview the look using software.
Abstract Ocean is a company that sells aftermarket accessories for EVs. In this segment, they’re promoting a screen protector made to fit Tesla screens.
A screen protector is a thin cover you put on top of a screen to help keep it from getting scratched or damaged. They’re saying theirs is made to match the shape of Tesla’s center display.
The Tesla center screens are the main touchscreens in the middle of the dashboard. They’re curved a little, so the protector has to be made to match that shape.
Gorilla Glass is a type of tough glass used on many screens. They’re saying the protector is made from that kind of glass so it’s more resistant to damage.
Corning is a company that makes special materials, including tough glass. The host is saying the screen protector uses a similar kind of glass as what you’d find on some phones.
This is a safety device for a garage door. It shines multiple beams across the door’s path, and if something is in the way, it stops the door so it doesn’t hit and damage anything.
A garage door sensor array is the set of sensors that helps keep the door from closing when something is in the way. It’s like an obstacle detector for the door’s movement.
A carbon fiber body kit is a set of exterior add-on parts made from lightweight carbon-fiber material. People install them to change the car’s look, and sometimes to make it a bit lighter.
A spoiler is an extra piece on the outside of the car, usually near the back. It can help the car handle better, but many are also added just to look sporty.
Dashboard upgrades are aftermarket parts that change the inside look of the car’s dash. Sometimes they’re just for style, sometimes they help with how things are laid out.
A lifetime warranty means the company says the product will be covered for a long time, usually for the life of the item. The exact rules depend on the warranty details.
Automotive tape refers to specialized adhesive tape used on cars for mounting or trim/attachment. In this context, it’s used to secure the license plate setup, and the host warns that removal can leave residue or damage paint.
An EV is a car that runs on electricity from a battery. It doesn’t use a traditional gasoline engine to power the wheels.
LIVE
On this week's episode of Ride the Lightning, the Tesla and EV podcast, I'd like you to meet
Sandro, a Model X owner who's made some epic journeys in his Tesla and is currently driving
from the northernmost point of our continent at the Arctic Circle to the southernmost tip
of South America.
It's an incredible story, so stay tuned.
What's happening friends alongside a snoozing Daisy the Boxer and, well, how do I put this
with Lily the Silly Labrador?
She's currently sitting like a human being on the couch.
She's got a big rock in her mouth and she's just looking out the window.
She couldn't possibly swallow this rock, and she just likes finding big river rocks
in the backyard and bringing them in and just having them in her mouth.
It's a very weird thing, she's a very goofy dog and we love her very much.
I hope you're doing well.
Welcome to episode 561 of Ride the Lightning, your weekly Tesla and EV podcast.
This one is publishing on May 3rd, 2026, but I am recording it well in advance because
as you hear this, I will be off on my annual baseball trip with my uncles.
I've probably talked about this every year when this comes up.
Some years back, a couple of my uncles and my cousin Pat may he rest in peace.
We all were at a family gathering and we said, you know what, why don't we stop talking
about going to a different stadium every year and actually do it.
So we started doing this in 2018, yes, 2018 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
That was our first trip.
We've done it every year since other than 2020 when you couldn't attend a Major League
Baseball game.
Unfortunately now we carry on without Pat, but this year we are heading to Fenway Park
in Boston, which is an incredibly historic place if you're a baseball fan.
I have had the pleasure of going before, but one of my uncles interestingly has not, despite
the fact that he's been a lifelong baseball fan and he's a good bit older than me.
So we're going to check that off of his baseball bucket list.
I'm looking forward to getting back to Fenway Park and for the first time in a while for
me.
So you may not care about any of that and that's totally fine, but I'm recording this
in advance, but as always, I've prepared something for you to listen to and hopefully
enjoy while I'm away.
It is an hour-long conversation with a gentleman named Sandro who, as you heard at the very
top of the podcast in the intro, is driving his Model X, which is modified in some unique
ways that you'll hear about in the interview, by himself all the way from the Arctic Circle
down through Canada, down through the United States, through Mexico and Central America,
and now through South America towards the southernmost tip of Argentina.
His story is pretty incredible and I was absolutely riveted by what he had to say.
I hope you will be too and that you'll subscribe to his YouTube channel when you're done listening
to this.
You can find him at youtube.com slash at, meaning the other at sign, at every day Sandro, S-A-N-D-R-O.
But real quick, before I get to that interview with Sandro, I just want to mention my awesome
long time sponsor Accelerate Auto and their XCare extended warranty option.
The awesome thing about them is that you can really customize your plan.
If you're planning on hanging on to your EV past its manufacturer's warranty and you
want to keep it covered, Accelerate Auto's XCare plan is a fantastic option because you
can really customize the mileage, the years, the what particular, if you want to get the
battery and drivetrain coverage added on or just get the battery and drivetrain.
If you don't want to worry about the general stuff and just do the battery and drivetrain
warranty since the battery is the most expensive component, if anything goes wrong there, you'd
be in a deep situation financially without a warranty.
So maybe you just want to do that.
The point is XCare is very flexible and I recommend it.
I've had two policies now.
I'm on my second one with our 2018.
I did a three year, that expired.
I used it a couple times.
The claim process, super easy reimbursement, super quick.
Now I'm on our second three year plan with that because we plan to keep this car for
a good bit of time.
So you can check out their website at xcare.com or if you'd like to call and ask questions,
there is a human being waiting to speak with you at 844-755-4186.
Either way, whether you call or go to the website, if you decide to purchase a plan,
make sure to use the referral code LIGHTNING for $100 off your policy purchase.
So again, that's xcare.com or call 844-755-4186.
All right, without further ado, I am very happy to share with you this hour long conversation
with Sandro.
I think you're going to absolutely love this guy by the end of it.
I sure did.
I didn't know him at all.
I saw a post on Reddit that where he was talking about his journey and so I reached
out on Reddit and said, hey, I'd love to talk to you on my podcast.
He very kindly responded and this is the result and this is just an awesome thing he's doing
and you got to hear it.
Take a listen, enjoy.
Well, it is a thrill.
Also, of course, this is an audio podcast.
The folks listening do not have the benefit of seeing you in your Model X as I do right
now.
I see.
Is that a Starlink mini right above your head on the top of your Model X windshield?
Yep.
That's the Starlink mini and that's powered by my solar panel right now that you can see
in front of me.
Yeah.
So I guess we'll start there since you brought it up.
This is not necessary.
I mean, it is a regular Model X, but you've done a lot of modifications specific to the
needs of this adventure that you're taking and you just showed me on camera, but obviously
the audio folks can't see that, but you have managed to get a small solar array on the hood
of your Model X.
Can you talk about that?
Yeah.
You know, on my first trip to Alaska in 2023, that was my first real dabbling into
roaming outside the Tesla Supercharger network, right?
Because from Prince George to Anchorage, Alaska, there is no Tesla Superchargers and at that
time the charging network was kind of a guessing game.
So what I had to do a lot was to play as conservative as possible.
So I turned off my Starlink, I turned off my fridge to conserve as much power and I was
like, okay, what if I put solar panels on a space of the car where I don't have to move
it?
It's always charging as long as the sun is shining.
And fast forward a year later, I went to Tuck Tuck Tuck and kind of had that same issue
where I had to unplug everything.
My food would go rotten because the fridge was off, and then I found a company in the
Netherlands called Mito Solar and they work on custom modules for expeditions, for solar
races, and they wanted to sponsor part of this trip.
And yeah, fast forward another few months, they made the panels for me, I installed it
at my friend's house in California, Cowfield.
Great guy, we tore the beluga apart.
They're actually very simple installments, and regarding it's just 3M tape pretty much,
custom cut for the Model X, 300 watts.
Okay, that was my next question.
So yeah, can you show me again?
Can you turn the camera again?
I know the audio list, but it's okay.
So it's a, it's not a, it is a real panel.
I can see it's actually two of them.
It's two halves.
So it is, it looks very, very thin for what you, you know, of course, like on the roof
of my house, I have an eight kilowatt system, but they're home residential panels.
So how, those panels on your hood look like they don't weigh much.
They're quite heavy regarding when I pop up with a frunk, I have to manually push up otherwise
it never comes up.
But besides that, they're really, really flush.
And I haven't really noticed any impact on my range because that was the next thing that
people asked like, why put them up with, well, I haven't noticed anything significant, right?
And they're empowering me right now by powering my Starlink.
And I've been overlanding here for the last few days.
And I haven't really used my high voltage at all, just solar and so yeah, that's the
whole idea.
And it's gotten me out of a few pinches before.
It's gotten me out of, which was a really funny story when I ran out of charge, I say
ran out of charge vaguely because I know there's a reserve in the battery pack.
I've seen people test it out, but that's usually with safety nets.
I don't have a safety net here.
I am on my own.
So the panels kept the car alive.
They trickle charged a few kilometers.
And during that time, I was able to call tow truck, which was also very complicated where
I was at.
But the panels did exactly what they bought me time.
And that's what I needed.
So I'm very happy with them.
And only two people in this whole trip knew there were solar panels.
Everybody else thinks it's a really bad rap, which I love.
It makes me laugh.
And yeah, and you know, I think I want to do other continents as well.
So I'll definitely dabble into more solar.
But this was kind of like a pilot project and keeping things as simple as I could.
That's so cool.
Well, I want to, man, I want to get into your backstory.
I want to get into why you're doing this.
But I guess we're already on the topic of your car itself.
So while we're talking about this, what all have you done to your Model X to make it basically
a home on wheels?
Yeah, big modifications, actually not that many regarding, I still have my five seats,
right?
So if my five seats.
Yeah, I see them.
I swapped out the OOM tires.
I put in Falcon, Walter Peak, all terrain tires.
So 255, 55 rims are 19.
And then the solar.
And then I built a custom kitchen in the back, right?
That slides out, a slide out system.
But besides that, it's still, oh, and then I put like a film over the fog lights.
So it's yellow.
But that's, that's literally it.
I didn't put any bigger lights up on the Model X, one range, but two.
I don't really drive at night in the Americas.
And I think with big lights, you're tempted to.
So I kept it as simple as I could.
And potentially in my next setup, I might move some seats, build a permanent platform,
but it works very well.
I have Ubered people around here in regards to friends with all their stuff in the back
and everything fits.
So you mentioned, I want to hear about this kitchen that you've built back there.
Like, like I'm familiar with Rivian.
I don't know if they ended up going through with it, but they, on the prototype R1-T,
I remember they were offering in the, the gear tunnel, they were going to do a slide
out whole kitchen thing.
So, but you've actually built something in the, in the cargo area in the back of your
Model X. So what, what did you put back there and, and how'd you do it?
Yeah.
So that's a real question.
I was living in a Model 3 for the first six years of my road life adventure.
I wanted more space.
I wanted a bigger kitchen.
So I had like a little slide out drawer system.
But the problem was that anytime I cooked, I'll be cooking inside pretty much.
So I decided to make it bigger when I bought the Model X and make a two system slide out
drawers.
So like two slide out drawers that gets out of the car and then have a little bit of
storage compartment up top and have a water pump that is attached to 10 gallons of water
reserve and then have my, my initial design didn't have an electric kitchen.
Now I have induction.
Now I have an air fryer.
Everything's electric because of the solar panels, but before I had a gas stove and that
was great only when it was, when it was windy or I would run out of gas, I couldn't cook.
So that's the whole, whole idea came from there.
And that's when the solar panels really was plug and play for me.
So you sound like a much more well, a talented person than me.
I could never do any of this.
Did you study engineering or like, or is this all just sort of natural?
Are you just naturally a person that can do all this stuff?
No, I think I'm very eager to learn.
And I think through living on the open road, I have met great people.
For example, my friend, Jimmy, who lives out of a Cybertruck in Vancouver, he
builds custom kitchens for the testers and Rivians.
He's the one that kind of inspired me with a design.
Right.
And he actually was with me for three weeks in Chile, and we lived together out of the
Model X. And then I meet really great people that have some technical skills.
And from there, I can learn, if that makes sense.
So it's just, I say, the networking of living on the road.
You get to be anywhere at any time.
And through that, I meet a great folks.
That's so cool.
So how do you fit so that you've got to, I'm guessing you have, you have a mattress
in back there.
How do you fit the mattress and the kitchen?
So it folds up nice and snug.
Every morning I fold it up.
It's not a blow up mattress because blow up mattresses make too much noise.
Yeah.
And then kind of inconvenient to store.
So behind the seats here, I fold the seats down every night.
And then I have like a little two, two piece cushions from the Model Y.
Right.
So the Model Y, those cushions, because they don't really make accessories for the Model
X, especially camping ones.
So I have, and I've had those cushions for almost four years now and they still work
really well.
And then a day I fold them back up and it's a perfectly normal car.
So I can move my friends around.
Also, when I go through customs and border checkpoints, they're like, oh,
this is a car, like, you know, just they don't.
I've only been searched a few times, but, you know, nothing where like
they were suspicious of anything.
And yeah, I just like the simplicity of being able to put everything back into
this place, and it takes me less than 20 seconds to do it when I wake up in the morning.
That's so cool.
Yeah.
So for for folks listening, like, I know if I if I weren't able to see you
right now, I would be picturing the car would be completely full up to
the the the front row seats.
That's what I would be picturing.
But no, to paint a picture for my audience, it looked like the the second
row is completely clean.
Like he can have three passengers in the second row, which is which is really impressive.
I mean, that's like that's a you might be really good at Tetris.
If you ever play that video game, you seem like you'd be good at Tetris.
Yes, that's that's actually the way I describe it.
It's always a little bit of a puzzle.
Yeah.
And I'm I'm really I really embody the take less, do more kind of philosophy
in regards to having less gear and just reusing whatever you have.
Like I just discovered that I can make an awning out of my falcon door
yesterday attaching I opened the door and then I attached like a blanket to it
and then tie that down with some rocks.
And yeah, it took me three years to figure that I had an awning before,
which was just the door.
But sometimes depending on the angle, I never really had shade.
But now with the falcon door and that little blanket, I have like a little triangle
and it's and I just discovered this yesterday.
And then I used the sub trunk cover to make a little table with my tripod.
So that's super cool.
Yeah. All right.
Well, so everybody's got to go to YouTube.com
slash every day, Sandro, S-A-N-D-R-O.
Check out Sandro's YouTube channel to see what he's got going on.
So let's let's back up.
I know I was just super excited that I just started.
We just kind of took off from a running start here.
So, Sandro, where where are you from originally?
Because I know the answer now is all over the Americas
and in a different place at a given time.
But so where are you from originally?
Yeah, so I was born in the Netherlands, right?
So I still have my Dutch passport.
And when I was eight years old, I moved to Brazil,
Rio de Janeiro with my whole family.
And then we moved again to Panama in 2011.
So I lived there for three years.
So three and three.
And then I moved to the United States in 2015
at the age of 15.
And I've been a U.S. resident for the last 12 years.
And that's why I have a U.S.
registered vehicle, vehicle title, registration, all that.
And I've been on the road for four years.
So but I was based out of Boston.
OK, that was my next questions.
So you've done you've experienced basically every climate
in your life then from from, you know, the Netherlands
to Boston winter to South American summers
and closer to the equator.
You've seen it all.
What's what's your what's
do you have a prefer?
Do you have like a favorite season or type of weather
after all you've experienced in your life?
You know, I thought I really did it first.
But for example, I've had summer for a full year
just because how I crossed the equator.
Yeah. And I used to not like the desert,
but I've really gotten to embody the desert.
Sure, it's hot, but with the right activities,
the right setup, you can kind of manage it really well.
And so no, really, like I actually am hitting Ushuaia,
the end of the road in the dead of winter,
which is something that most people like, why would you go?
Because I missed the right season.
I usually say right season with quotation marks
because the it's every season has its things.
Yeah. And a lot of people have been down there
during the summer times.
They have also posted on YouTube what it is like in the summer,
but I want to know what it's like during the winter.
And I just have to drive.
If I hate, I've lived in the winter in the car,
like in Colorado and stuff, and I've loved it for a few weeks.
And then it gets really miserably cold.
So that's when I usually move.
And that's the fact that I have a mobile home.
You can move anywhere at any time.
So you mentioned you said you've been on the road for four years.
You said you were out of a Model 3 for six years.
Well, the Model 3 only came out not about eight years ago.
So six months, six months, six months.
OK. Yeah.
So what prompted you?
Where did the idea come from that you said, I'm just going to
I'm just going to hit the road and with and I'm not going to come back,
really. Yeah.
So I was actually living in the Netherlands.
This was the run COVID time.
I was a professional soccer player, so footballer.
And my contract was expiring.
And I really got an interest in Tesla that time.
And at that time, you still had to wait like half a year for your for your order.
Yeah. Right.
And I saw this guy, his name is Jimmy, living out of his Model Y.
And he built this incredible kitchen and I was like, wow, that looks so cool.
And I was kind of at the end of my career regarding
like my own excitement for the love of the game.
So I was kind of ready, like dabbling into other stuff.
I wasn't sure.
So I was like, you know what?
I'm going to buy a Model 3 and just start traveling.
So I start camping a few days at a time.
And then I've kind of figured out the free charging that you can get
in the United States, right?
You can play that game.
And this is also before the big referrals that they were giving out
where you can use those to supercharge.
So I started living like that for six months.
And my if I go back to my old videos, that's a completely different
Sandro, which I love.
I love to see the yearly iterations of myself, just like as a person,
how much I've changed, the people I get to meet.
But yeah, so that's kind of how it all got started.
It was just an idea and just a curiosity to to experience
the world through a different set of lens, if that makes sense.
It does. It absolutely makes sense.
And it's it's a it's such an adventurous thing.
I'm curious if if you're the friends and family in your life,
if their reaction to this has changed the longer it's gone on, like were they
were they like, oh, yeah, cool, that'll be fun.
But has anybody been like, well, what are what are you doing?
Or, you know, how is how has the reactions been from the people in your life?
You know, honestly, they're like, if there's one guy going to be living
out of a Tesla, it'll probably be you, right?
And my mom, especially, was always very supportive.
She did get very nervous when I announced to her first that I was going
to drive the length of the Americas, right?
And in Mexico itself, she we had like a routine of every night
around eight o'clock, I'll send her a message.
She has access to the car through the app.
Yeah. So she was always kind of able to track.
And in the United States, when I was traveling, that nobody was ever worried
about me on my first trip to Alaska, I had a little garment in reach
that I would text my mom.
I didn't have my star link at the at the first trip.
So, yeah, actually had a lot of support, I think, even on social media.
I read all my comments every Monday, everything.
And it's mostly positive.
Like I know on you, especially like you're on social media, too,
people sometimes can really dig into you.
But I rarely get really negative comments.
And if I do, I just have Belogita Beluga answer the comments
like, oh, electric cars are stupid.
And she's like, well, I can drive myself.
Well, it's like little stuff like that, but it rarely happens.
So I guess having that support kind of made this trip
that making the decision a little easier, you know, so I feel very fortunate.
That's great.
You see, you mentioned your first trip to Alaska earlier.
How so is this there's clearly there was a big trip
before this current journey through the entire America's that you're on now.
What was this first trip?
Was it just Alaska?
So the first trip was twenty twenty three with my model X to Alaska.
I actually made it to Anchorage and then was there for like a few weeks.
And then I drove back to the low forty eights
and I got hired by Tesla in Oregon.
And that's because I met somebody on the road and she was like, oh,
you know, you can still live in your car, but you could be local.
Yeah. So I was like, oh, I can't.
So I got a real job at Tesla.
I was sales and I absolutely loved it.
Well, who knows the cars better than you at this point, right?
If people come in and they have questions, you're like, well,
well, actually, I've driven mine to Alaska.
So, you know, fire.
And that's yeah, you must have been naturally pretty good at that job
because any customer that comes in with any sort of range anxiety or uncertainty,
you're like, well, I've been living out of mine and I went to Alaska.
So you must have sold a lot of cars.
Yeah, actually, I moved through the ranks pretty quick my first three months.
And it's also because like I didn't always pitch the fact that I lived in the car.
You know, I kind of depending on the customer, but the fact I've been to Alaska
and I made it comfortably, like I never really got below like 10 percent at that time.
You know, and then there was like a mass layoff
of Tesla and I got hit in the second wave.
And honestly, it was a blessing in some ways
because I had always talked at work about going to the Arctic Ocean and Arctic Circle.
And I didn't make it that year because at that time, I only thought there was one road
right in Alaska drives through, which is the Dalton Highway.
But there's two roads.
There is the Dalton Highway in Alaska and then there's the Dempster Highway in Canada.
And on my way up, I had met somebody on my trip to First Trip Alaska
that said he was going to Tuk Tuk Tuk.
And I would always remember that name because it's such a weird or not weird.
It's such a difficult name to pronounce, right?
It's just Tuk Tuk and a Toyota in between.
That's how I remembered it.
Yeah, so after I laid off, I made I planned for like two weeks to go up north.
I got a few extra adapters that I thought that I needed,
but I ended up not getting the right adapters.
Anyways, because there was so little information on there was actually no information on
somebody going that far up north.
I knew people had done the Dalton Highway up to Purdue Bay.
I think two years earlier, but nobody had gone to Tuk Tuk Tuk.
So I was like, wow, that's perfect.
So, yeah.
Have you now you've probably seen on on social media
last year, my friends, Tesla Tino and Bearded Tesla took their cyber trucks
up to the Arctic Circle.
Did you have have you talked to those guys at all?
Did you share stories with them about your about the Arctic Circle trip?
Yeah, actually, I was there in June of 2024
and they got there in August, 2024. Wow.
And it was like, I wasn't honestly had no idea about their their trip
before Han Solo wasn't for me like trying to beat anybody.
That's not really the point, right?
But I realized on the trip that I was the first electric vehicle to make it
and on their way south.
So once they reached north, so I actually gave him some some
I think helpful tips to stuff that I struggled with.
And on my way south, I met them in Vancouver
when they were on their way to Los Angeles.
And I'm actually I know Justin a little bit,
but Rafa and Nancy are very dear to my heart.
They're wonderful people, great folks.
And yeah, so they in Vancouver, Canada,
on their way down to Los Angeles to meet, I think, France.
And so some some of the Tesla team,
we camped out at a riverbed and we talked to like five
in the morning because they just came back.
Yeah. And I was so stoked to actually have somebody
that went up there that had a similar
but yet different experience because their biggest fear was range.
Yeah. Right.
And my biggest fear was not range, actually, at all.
It was tires because I don't carry a spare tire with me.
I have a patch kit.
I have a bunch of accessories to fix a tire,
but I don't carry a spare and I still don't.
And so it was very cool, like how a similar experience
like and destination kind of play differently.
Yeah. Yeah, I guess since you were on all terrains,
that would that's got to hit your range a little bit compared to the standard
Model X, but I guess your your Model X,
assuming your Model X is a long range rather than a plaid would
your range was is probably pretty similar
to their dual motor Cybertruck.
I bet it's it's pretty close would be my guess.
It's pretty close.
But Rafa was telling me is that they carried a lot of weight.
Yeah, they're a lot of extra tools and weight.
You know, that's yeah, that's that's one thing.
And that was very interesting to compare notes on how their trip went.
And I actually invited them like, hey, if you guys want to go down to
South America with me, please, you know, Justin said
he didn't feel safe doing it.
He also has a whole different life.
He has a family, other things to think about.
Right. Yeah.
And and Rafa Nancy, they still have a house,
so they weren't sure how they could manage that.
Right. But I did invite them at five in the morning.
And it was no, it was magical because again,
I haven't met anybody else besides a few gas vehicles have done that trip.
Right. So even this year, I watched a bunch of YouTube videos
of people going there and and making it. Right.
So it's very like I love to watch those videos
because everybody's experience is so different.
You've you've probably seen maybe even on the Arctic Circle trip.
And if not there in other places,
you've probably seen some absolutely stunning night skies in your travels
would be my guess.
Yeah, my first trip up to Alaska, Southern Northern Lights
because it was towards October in the summertime.
I actually experienced 24 hour daylight, which is
really weird, but also really awesome to experience it.
It does mess with your sleep.
But yeah, there's so many things that I never even thought of
or wanted to see that I have experienced, if that makes sense.
It absolutely makes sense.
Yeah. See seeing the Northern Lights is on my bucket list.
I just I want to at some point in life, it's something I want to do,
whether it's Alaska or Norway or or wherever it may be.
But because I I've always lived in cities or suburbs.
So I've I've never really had an opportunity
to see like a truly spectacular night sky.
So it's that that's why that came to mind for me.
How you're talking about, you know, everything the solar on the hood
of your your Model X, the kitchen back there, the all terrain tires.
Have you had many or any issues
across the ninety four something thousand miles on your Model X?
Nothing major that I I couldn't fix myself.
And that is still something that does bring me some anxiety sometimes
is, you know, like I pushed this car really hard.
Yeah. What will fail?
And yeah, nothing that has come up where even, for example,
I had a coolant morning the other day, right?
And that's a pretty serious thing to look at.
And I actually left it for another week.
And then and then, OK, let me look into it.
So I took the front apart and my coolant was pretty low.
And I topped up the reservoir.
But on the model X, it's very difficult to get a visual on it.
It's behind the air compressor.
It's literally it took me an hour to figure out how to take a proper picture of it.
Oh. And I had talked to somebody in Tesla North America
and they said potentially you could have a small leak
in the cooling system, which I talk about in my next video.
And as of now, I went to Tesla Service the other day.
They did a visual inspection.
They were really excited to see a model X
because they've never seen model X here.
So when you where is here?
Where is the service center?
This is in Santiago, Chile. OK.
So they also have stores here.
They have a small service center that kind of looks like
they put it together overnight.
But that's how it is in emerging markets, I guess. Yeah.
And they made a visual.
And I think I've kept a good eye on it the last few days
that my coolant just got low because of
the places I've been that sometimes the coolant can evaporate.
It's very uncommon, but I have driven through
45 degrees Celsius, so 120 degrees Fahrenheit
deserts right midday over the last three months.
So potentially that's what caused it.
And I'll keep a good eye.
But I the Tesla Service said that they didn't find any leak.
Good.
And the and the liquid was still very blue,
which is very important.
If it charged to change color, then you have a bigger problem.
But yeah. Yeah.
I mean, you're you're in the point one percent of use cases
with any Tesla, but yeah, particularly a model X, I'm sure.
You know, to that end, when you're going to the Arctic Circle
or to some of these places you're going.
Does Tesla are they aware of what you're doing?
Are they reaching out to offer support or or in any way
kind of there to help you in a way that maybe, you know,
a quote unquote regular customer wouldn't have
because just because you're you're you are in a sense,
you're kind of helping Tesla either by sort of raising awareness
for what EVs are capable of or just human to human.
They they're they're not going to want something bad to happen
to one of their customers with one of their cars.
So like, have they have they been in contact with you at all
throughout this journey?
Yeah, they yes, yes, yes, and yes, I actually had.
I met the Tesla team here.
This also the Tesla CEO of Latin America.
We had a bunch together in Colombia as well.
I had no idea they were going to launch, right?
But when the car was on the container coming from Panama to Cartagena,
any time the car got near land, I could communicate with the car.
The reason why I'm saying that is that once you leave Mexico,
there is no premium connectivity, right?
So there's no way for you to check on your car unless the Starlink is on.
Yeah. So any time the car the boat got near near the shore,
I had signal I could see the state of charge
and it was really funny because a few weeks later, they were like,
oh, yeah, we're opening a store here online
and so I ended up going to a few weeks afterwards
after their initial launch and went to the store.
And I think that's how kind of words spread in the end.
But yeah, besides that,
Tesla hasn't really endorsed it or sponsored me in any ways.
And I'm actually as crazy as it sounds.
I like it because it puts I can say what I want.
Sure. Right.
And it's
yeah, also like, yeah.
So I could say what I want really.
And they have been very helpful with my questions.
They have.
So they're not direct partnerships,
but when I message them through service or
I have some contacts at Tesla as well regarding like service
that they do get back to me
in a more personalized way, if that makes sense.
Good, good.
So, you know, kind of on that note about saying what you want,
are there are there things that you've learned about the car,
about the Model X specifically, obviously,
because that's what you're driving,
that that you would like to see improved about the Model X,
except for the part where, of course, it's being retired.
And I'll ask you about that in a minute.
But but like, do you have sort of are there things
that that you wish the Model X had done better?
Now, granted, again, you're in a very
extreme use case, but I'm sort of curious if anything
has come up short about the car for what you're using it for.
Yeah, actually, I don't think it's really just tied to the Model X.
I think it's having supporting Tesla ownership outside.
Outside the markets, for example, once you leave Mexico,
I don't have any UI maps, like even right now, if I can,
my car still thinks that it's in Mexico, right?
The car is visually here on the maps,
but that's only because of Starlink, right?
So not being able to navigate anywhere,
like, let's say if I navigate to like Santiago,
it allows me to see Santiago, but it doesn't allow me to navigate.
So that simple state of charge calculation isn't there.
Got it.
That's one big thing.
But after a year, I've gotten pretty good,
but it's still something I look at pretty much most more.
It's like, I wish it'd be so nice just to navigate to there, right?
Sure, FSD is amazing to have, especially in Mexico.
It was really nice, but that's not really like I need it.
Right? So that's aside, but maybe downloadable maps, too,
where if you are in remote areas and you don't have any data anymore,
you could still you can navigate to places, right?
But you don't have the maps on your screen.
So those are little things that don't just really apply to me,
to my Model X to answer your question.
I think the Model X has been fine tuned to.
Maybe it's reached full potential, you know, going
because I actually did listen to part of your podcast about them discontinuing.
And I think, yeah, I think the Model X and the Model S have done their job.
So I'm not like it does actually make this trip a little bit more special.
Yeah, knowing that there is a limited quantity of
that you can't personally order them anymore.
It's all just inventory, right?
So, yeah.
So I think that's good feedback because you're right.
Like on our phones, we can we can download map data offline
in case, you know, we're in some place that doesn't have signals.
So, yeah, I think that's great feedback for the Tesla team
to in case a customer finds themselves in some sort of, you know,
area where they don't have service.
So, yeah, that's I hope they hear that and and and take action on it at some point.
Yeah, and that's right.
And that's why I wanted to say to be able to switch maps,
like the cars that are delivered here come out of China, right?
So when I was in Colombia, the first thing that I did when I went to the
Tesla showroom was like, OK, what maps do they have?
They have Latin American maps.
They have Latin AM.
Yeah. So I'm like, OK, so they can switch it.
They can, right?
Because those are Chinese vehicles, right?
So that's another thing for me, which has to do with the maps that are charged.
That's a big thing for me is I wish there was a way where you could manually
switch it just on the UI where you because they say Tesla says drive anywhere, right?
Basically, so I think the main reason why I still have a Tesla is because of the UI.
And I think that little upgrade of being able to switch maps where it's integrated
to here would be awesome, you know, if that makes sense.
It does. Have you contacted the the CEO of Tesla Latham that you mentioned there
and asked if they can because clearly it's a software it's a software toggle.
It's not a hardware problem.
It's not a hardware issue.
Have you reached out to see if they might be able to to tell you your car?
It's in a different region.
They haven't got it back to me yet.
So what I think it is, it's a little bit more complex than just like
just switching maps like that.
But I've posted on X, I'm pretty vocal on X, too, is if they can deliver
self-driving cars, then I think this is a problem they could solve.
But then again, what you said, I am a minuscule little problem there, right?
So but again, it's that tends to detail.
So, you know, so you mentioned FSD.
So it sounds like you've got FSD and it's so does it it works?
It sounds like it works in Mexico, but then not once you go south of Mexico.
Do I have that correct?
Yeah, I don't have FSD purchased.
I subscribed to it.
I used my Tesla referral dollars.
And I thought about purchasing it outright before they discontinued that.
But then I'm like, you are not going to be in any territory where you can use it.
And maybe in the future, Tesla decides to you can't transfer it anymore.
Right. I don't know.
These promos, they always have good offers and then the next quarter, something better.
So I decided to not to not do it.
And but in Mexico, it worked OK.
I do have hardware three.
OK. And I say, OK, in regards to the speed bumps, the top is they are unmarked
everywhere, even on some highways, tall highways.
It's it's insane.
So the the the car would fly.
We don't want that. No.
So you you mentioned you're an athlete.
You played professional soccer.
I mean, I can I can tell from from looking at you from the waist up here,
like you're a fit guy.
Are you do you stop and and exercise for some amount of time every day?
Like what's how are you staying healthy on this trip?
Great question.
And I think I that's part of my number one priority was when I decided to do this trip.
I don't want this trip to come the cost of my expense,
cost of my health, right, because I do drive a lot.
Um, I have gotten into routine, so I run a lot.
I do a lot of trail running.
Um, I after Mexico, I went to sometimes some local gyms
if they were in into places.
But I run three or four times a week.
I do some strength training.
I have a bunch of exercise equipment.
I'm thinking about actually getting some kettle bells this morning
because I'm going down to Ushuaia and I probably won't be very motivated
to go outside and exercise.
But I think if I buy some weights myself, I would be more inclined to.
And I do a lot of hikes.
I do a lot of meditation as well, where I just sit outside
or my chair back here and just sit for 20 minutes and just breathe.
And yeah, I think staying fit and healthy is the number one goal
of this, because it is I always joke.
I've been on a holiday the last four years, but holiday could be very stressful.
So taking care of the little things that I can is a huge priority of mine.
And I use a lot of public places.
Like sometimes I'm in the city.
I'll use the public gym that's out there, like the pull up bars.
Yeah. And yeah, there's a lot of places you can do your exercise.
You don't need a fancy gym equipment.
Yeah, I guess is that how is that how restroom breaks must happen as well?
Because you you don't have a restroom on board the Model X.
So you just find you just you just find public public facilities.
Yeah. And actually, when I'm out and about like this, it's very easy.
I have a community shovel that I've used to scoop people out of snow storms,
sand and I use it to dig some holes when I do the number two.
In the city, it's a little bit more difficult.
That's why I just prefer to be outside.
Yeah. But Chile is very European.
I've I've described it as they have like a European kiss
where a lot of the infrastructure is up to European standards.
So you have a lot of gas stations to over twenty four seven.
They offer free even free showers here.
Oh, wow. Extremely hot showers.
Piping hot.
And yeah, they have open restrooms that are always very clean.
And yeah, that's why I just tend to be more outside the cities.
That's why I've been here for the last like three, three and a half days
because it's just easier, you know.
So it sounds like you you sound excuse me,
you spend a good deal of time outside of the obviously you're in the car a lot.
But you're you're spending a good bit of time each day outside.
Which sounds very healthy.
Yeah, like 95 percent of my day is I wake up, I open the falcon there.
I'm like, wow, what a view like what?
I mean, look at that desert.
Yeah. And I'm like, OK, they started.
Let's go outside and make my coffee.
Actually, I go for a run or something and I make my coffee.
And yes, I'm from minutes five of my day.
I'm already outside and and yeah, I feel very healthy living like this.
You know, I do sit a lot, but yeah, I think that's part of the job
editing, you know, doing all the the finance stuff
because I always have YouTube business.
Yeah, that's how I financed this trip is through YouTube.
And I feel incredibly fortunate that I have a following
where people root for me, people support me.
I have Patreon just like yourself.
I saw that as well.
And I write people's names on the back of the hood.
The Frank, the hood of people that support me.
So yeah, there is a business aspect to my adventures,
which has pros and cons. Yeah.
But I was telling my mom this morning that I feel so content with living this way.
You know, and I think that's the most important thing is to just
find your sweet spot where you're content, where, you know,
I have about 28000 subs on YouTube and I'm so happy.
Like, for me, whether I hit a million or two million, like,
I wouldn't make a difference in my happiness.
And I think that's a very important question to ask yourself is,
why do you travel? Why do you do what you do?
You know, you sound like
the most well adjusted person I've ever taught.
Like I'm I'm envious in a very totally nice way of how
you just seem very you just have a great head on your shoulders.
I can tell from talking to you for 45 minutes that you're really
just even keel like you don't seem like you get too high or too low.
And you've you find joy and and maybe maybe just being out in the world is
I mean, it's clearly who you are.
But maybe being out in the world as you are helps with that.
For sure. I did get very high on life
when I supercharged my Tesla here in in Santiago.
I was high for two days
because I had been staring at those bloody red dots for thousands of miles
since I left Mexico.
And so sometimes I do definitely have very highs and I have some.
You're loud.
Yeah.
But I wouldn't be doing anything else.
And, you know, if I.
The reason why I am the way I am, I think it's because of the traveling
because I get to connect with people that I would normally would never talk to.
If I wasn't doing this and they give me such an interesting perspective
on on their life, on how they view situations.
And that's because of the car.
Beluga is an icebreaker, which is awesome
because she does the talking, people come and talk.
And then from there, I take the lead, you know.
Yeah, there I mean, you're you you lived in a lot of different places in your life.
I imagine as a professional football player,
you traveled with with the team there.
So it seems like travel is just it's just been a part of your life forever.
Yeah.
And I don't know how to stop.
Well, you don't have to.
That's the nice part of it.
You can you can do.
Yeah, you can just keep going as long as it makes you happy.
You mentioned election.
I want to come back one thing real quick to the kitchen in the back
of the of the X when you're talking about just day to day life.
You must have a few a few meals, go to meals that you like to cook.
What are what are your favorite, like two or three favorite things that you make a lot?
OK, I make Nogi Nogi and those are those potatoes.
Italian potato things in the air fryer now.
I have an air fryer. Cool.
So then they're they're crispier.
So I made that.
I made it yesterday, ate it this morning as well.
I love to make like cheese croissants, which I just bought a croissant,
but I melt the cheese in the air fryer again.
And I love to make quinoa bowls with something.
I do buy them usually.
I had a rice cooker, but I burned that thing in Peru.
Accidentally, on the higher voltage.
So don't do that.
But I do like to make like quinoa bowls.
So I'm just like a nice burger, like a plant based burger.
That too. Nice four things.
But yeah, I like that.
Yeah, we do we do impossible tacos once a week with the impossible meat here.
We love it. Or at least my wife and I love it.
Our 14 year old daughter is always we can't get her to eat the impossibly.
It's like, it's good. It's good in taco for.
So you mentioned, you know, the the Model X, which you've, of course,
you've given a name to as many of us have given names to our cars.
You must be one of a very, very, very few possible.
I don't know if I want to say only, but you must be one of
an extremely small number of Model X's in South America.
So do you get a lot of people curious to see the car
just because it's something they don't see very often?
Yeah, I saw two Model X's in Colombia.
Just in the bigger cities and besides that, none.
And I do sometimes get a lot of attention.
Sometimes it's a little dangerous.
People filming on the highways.
I actually don't really like that.
A lot of people actually don't know it's a Tesla.
They don't never have seen this model before.
Yeah.
So it's mostly kids.
It's mostly kids that are on social media to know what the car is.
I also I'm kind of little incognito.
I keep the car pretty, pretty dirty on the exterior.
It calls less attention.
I'm telling you, when the car is clean, I pay more for parking.
I pay more for food.
And that's not a big thing for me because I have the dollar
and the dollar is a very good monetary money to have.
Yeah.
You know, because essentially you're traveling pretty well through the Americas.
The dollar is pretty strong down there, the US dollar.
Yeah, it always has been and hopefully it always will be to some extent.
But that's why I like to keep the car dirty.
People don't recognize it.
I also do not open the doors.
Most of the time, the back doors in public settings because it becomes a zoo.
And that's why actually I didn't buy a cyber truck before this trip started.
It was I like to talk to people.
But sometimes I want my my time in space.
And with this car, I can absolutely do it.
Yeah.
But with the cyber truck, but I'm not the I'm not the it's really interesting.
There have been a few other expeditions.
Worldwide that all have roamed in their in their model X's.
There was Electric Americas that did anchorage to a shwire a few years ago.
And then there's another group that did like four years.
Around the world, they just finished and they charged on solar.
They were really and actually talked to the guy the other day on a call.
So, yeah, the model X, I think has a very underrated reputation.
It's been places.
It's it's an amazing car.
It's it always has been.
I'm I'm really sad to see it in the model S go.
Yeah, how did when you saw the news that the S and X were being discontinued?
I mean, you mentioned that it makes your trip a little bit more special.
But how did you feel when you found out that that there would be soon be no more model X?
It was like, whoa, they're pulling the plug.
But I'm like, OK, you know,
the S and X have done their job and now they're now they're going to be an extinct species eventually.
But I think, yeah, I don't.
Yeah, I think they've done their jobs, but it's like it's such an iconic car, you know,
that has really revolutionized, made electric cars cool, really got that
that ball rolling and then the X was like anybody who's seen the doors knows it's a Tesla.
You know, so that's also super iconic, way over engineered.
You don't need out of presenting doors and all that.
But it's just very cool to have, right?
And it's cool that they made it into like these doors are actually in my from my experience.
They haven't had any issues. Good.
You know, you have you have a new model X, right?
A what is it? What year is yours?
At 23, so. OK, so yeah, it's a new model X.
So you've got the that I don't hear any any Falcon door issues, really,
for the most part on the new ones.
They seem to have really ironed everything out.
But that's why I bought a I didn't buy the first iterations of any product, especially.
Well, now I never really had the ambitions before to drive the length of the Americas, right?
But having a vehicle that's been in production for like almost 10 years at that time
was OK, cool. I have a good product here.
I know most of my friends who have some cyber trucks, early events,
all have had some serious issues, and I'm on my own here, you know?
So yeah, I think I made the right choice.
And it makes me want to keep Beluga even longer, essentially.
Well, I mean, 94000 miles is I won't say it's nothing, but you've got that battery.
Like you you should be good for at least another 100, 150,000 miles at the minimum,
you figure, right? Yeah, you know, I think so.
The that I keep I do all the regular little stuff that you're supposed to,
or I guess like the tire rotation balancing.
But I've like this is kind of the most iconic thing.
Most people have driven the full length of the Americas, all had some major breakdowns.
And the biggest breakdown I've had was not officially on the Pan American.
I was actually deviating. I flip flop a lot.
I was on my way to Calama, San Pedro de Atacama in Chile,
where I decided to like not drive anymore, because I had another maybe 20 miles,
but still elevated like some significant elevation gain.
So technically on the Pan American, I never ran out of range.
Yeah.
Were you in the cars at all before this?
Or I guess I'll ask you this, what cars did you own before you discovered Tesla?
I had a fourth escape 2011.
And then I leased a Model 3 and then I bought one, right?
And not really into cars.
I've always actually, when I was younger, I would clean cars.
I don't have the neighborhood.
I walk around my bucket, charge $10 for car wash.
So I've always and I really like I've always loved driving.
I still today sometimes feel guilty just on how much I love driving
because it's just so freeing.
Yeah, it just I'm with you.
I mean, I've always been the same way.
I just I do love I love cars and I love like I find I don't know about you.
I find when I'm driving, whether it's me driving or FSD driving,
it I just it's a good time to think.
I just like the time to have the thoughts and just think about whatever.
So I that's like I find it relaxing and and somewhat meditative in that sense,
not literally meditative like like the 20 minutes you're spending a day.
But I don't know if that's if you relate to that at all.
No, I agree.
I think it's a form of like meditation is very broad.
I think driving is a form of some countries a little less
because it's just like the worst traffic I experienced Peru.
Oh, my God, no regards for safety.
Oh, yeah.
No, so it took me about a week to adapt to that dance.
And I say dance because that's just how you mingle through traffic.
You you adapt.
You have to be aggressive is what you're saying as a driver.
No, I actually became way more defensive.
But you drive closer on people's just as how it is.
I don't really cut people off.
Yeah.
But yeah, Peru is just a very interesting experience.
But every country has their their things like Chile feels very civil.
You know, you've automated tools, stuff like that.
Like, yeah.
And it's I really hope that more people see that you can travel
internationally like this without bad things happening to you.
More people hopefully get to travel the Americas with electric vehicles
and see this beautiful world because we all share the same planet.
But yeah, I I think people sometimes have and even I had that too.
When I started was a miss like the world can be dangerous, for sure.
There's really bad things that happen, but there's more good than bad.
You know, the amount of people that I've come across that have offered
their backyards, you know, camping is especially Colombia.
You know, Colombia is a pretty complicated country.
But there were a few areas where I felt very unsafe.
But most of it, I would just stay on people's
like little ranches in the mountains, you know, and they will give everything
their last fruits of the day.
They're like, here, take it.
I'm like, no, that's amazing.
They put it they put it in your car and then you're like leaving.
Like, oh, they put it there.
That's amazing.
No, it's such a great message that because you're so right that,
you know, especially if you're online a lot, I think, which I am as part of my job.
And yeah, it's you get it's easy to think that the world is bad, which again,
like I said, there are bad things, but but you're right.
I think I think most people are good and it's it's great of you.
It's a good reminder.
So thank you for reminding us that that that, yeah, like there are good people out
in the world. So you are you're in Chile now, you know, you're clearly
not trying to speed run this.
You're not trying to set a cannonball record because you mentioned
that you were at the Arctic Circle last summer.
So that's, you know, coming up on a year now.
So if you're in Chile, you're oh, go ahead.
Two summers.
Two summers. OK, so yeah, you're you're not trying to speedrun.
But you're getting close to the end of your journey now, right?
Yeah. Yeah. So.
I yeah, I'll be going down to Ushuaia in the next two months or so.
I'm actually first heading to Buenos Aires, so I'm going across
pretty much from Santiago to Buenos Aires.
And then I'm leaving the car for one full month.
I'm flying back to the Netherlands to celebrate my grandma's
85th birthday. Awesome.
I had two promises on this trip was to not die
and to celebrate to be present for my grandma's birthday.
Yeah. And I met somebody in Antigua, Guatemala,
that drove the full length of the Americas from Ushuaia
to Toc Toc Toc to Boston to Miami in eight and a half months.
Wow. That's a cannonball.
That's a cannonball.
But he lives in Buenos Aires and he was like,
if you're ever there and you need something, let me know.
So it's like I wrote out my message.
I'm like, hey, I would love to leave my car there.
There's a direct flight from Buenos Aires to Amsterdam.
And it's like, please come by, you know?
So that's the biggest thing is that I have so many cool
holiday destination points for the future.
That's so great.
So what have you thought about?
I know you did already say earlier next adventure,
but have you thought about what's next?
Like you obviously have to.
Well, I guess you could ship the car.
But so are you are you going to drive back to the United States?
Or like what's the plan after after you reach the southern most tip?
That's a good question.
There's a couple of factors that I have to play with is
I really want to keep Beluga for a very long time.
The issue is with electric vehicles is shipping.
Shipping used vehicle with high mileage.
A lot of companies don't do this.
When I shipped from they're afraid.
They're afraid the car is going to catch fire and have to throw it off the boat.
It's but they ship hundreds of thousands of vehicles new
from China every single year.
Right. But it's the used factor where a lot of shipping lines are still like.
Not really caught up to how safe they are.
Yeah.
And how unlikely they're to catch fire.
And there's other safety precautions when you ship your vehicle.
When I shipped from Panama to Colombia, I have to think about
like low state of charge, power in a car off completely.
But yeah, so that answering your questions about what's next.
It really depends on.
Where which port I can ship out of.
Because there's some really good ports like in one day video.
Uruguay.
That's where everybody kind of ships out of right.
Or I kind of want to drive through my mom's birth country, which is Suriname.
Suriname is an unexplored country on the Americas.
It's above Brazil between Guyana and French Guyana, a small country
about 500,000 people used to be Dutch colony.
I've been there a lot of times, but we were really cool to drive up there
and then ship out of there.
The issue is it's a very complicated country, a lot of corruption,
a lot of bureaucracies, higher bureaucracies you have to navigate.
So after Australia, I don't really know.
I'll probably seek some higher, some warmer weather
and then make the decision of and it's just a couple of things.
But I'll probably get the answer in the next few months
because I really do want to go back to the US and and kind of just go,
you know, toward like, I think I have now gotten a better.
A better way to travel.
And I think I kind of want to do that to the US
because I've been to all the states, you know, right, except Hawaii.
But it's like how much did I really see, you know?
So I kind of want to do the little take the
in the US with the model X and kind of do it again, I think.
So definitely be back.
But between now or another year, that's really what I'm unsure about.
Well, I hope if you find yourself in San Francisco and Northern California,
you'll drop me a line because I would love to I'd love to buy you lunch
because it is you just I I feel like.
In the hour we've been talking and I'm being I'm being completely serious.
I feel like I've known you for years.
I just in the best way.
I just I've had such a great time talking to you here already.
What's the.
Sorry, go ahead, go ahead.
No, even for me now, like I heard a bunch of podcasts, right?
I'm excited now because I have a lot of long drives and I have Starlink.
So I'll definitely be tuning into some of your podcasts
because I am very passionate about the space,
you know, not just Tesla, but the general.
So, yeah, I have a new a new podcast to just devours.
Well, there's I don't recommend listening to all of them.
They're they're they're, you know, it's every week,
unless you just want to learn sort of the history of Tesla.
As it happened week by week, then I guess it'd be interesting to go back.
But like I've had a lot of the Tesla guys on over the years.
Elon's been on Lars, the chief engineer has been on.
Franz has been on a bunch of times.
But yeah, they're it's definitely there for you if you want it every week.
But I before I've got to cut just a couple more questions and I'll let you go.
But I meant to ask this earlier to start with your Starlink.
Are you able to get Wi-Fi and thus software updates to the car?
Yes. Yes. So I get all the updates.
Uh, yeah. And I've also noticed Starlink has gotten
like 10 folds better over the last year, just the connectivity to upload speeds,
the the the motion when you're moving.
Tree coverage, even on some trees now, I get some pretty good good speeds.
That's awesome.
Yeah, it's it's an incredible product.
I was telling my wife, my wife just flew home with our daughter from a spring
break trip and she was saying that the Wi-Fi on the plane was terrible.
And it's and I was and I said to her, you know, hopefully within the next two
to three years, every flight you take has Starlink on it.
Like some airlines are starting to roll it out.
And it's just it's just such awesome technology that I hope is is just
everywhere here in the next couple of years.
And it's like you probably I'm not saying you couldn't have done.
I would have no idea.
But I imagine that it's fair to say Starlink has made this adventure
a lot better and a lot more comfortable and just a lot smoother for you.
Yeah, even right now, there's no cell servers here.
And I'm talking to like I'm talking to you in person.
And I think what gets me super excited about Starlink is I've seen it
in a lot of different places where small communities have access to the Internet.
Yeah, that's the idea, right?
And that allows them to work remote, which means a greater income,
which means they have bigger purchasing power.
I saw this in Tok Tok Tok, where I highlighted in one of my videos
was the amount of Starlink dishes that I counted there.
And there there is very limited work.
There's not even an oil field in Purdue Bay.
There's an oil field, right?
So the fact that we just empowers it moves the world forward, right?
And yeah, and it's not like prices have come down significantly.
That the service plans differ in different countries.
So, yeah, it's amazing, you know, so.
What's what city have you seen the most Tesla's in
across the Americas?
Actually, Santiago.
Really?
Yeah, it was really funny because I had my friend Jimmy with me here
and he just came out of the States and he was like,
why are you flashing your bloody lights every time we see a Tesla?
It's like, brother, I haven't seen one since like Columbia.
But yeah, here, actually, they they their owner's club of Chile has four hundred
and thirty five members. Wow.
They have delivered over three thousand Tesla's here,
our most only threes and wise.
So, yeah, Chile.
And then if you go outside the cities, you don't really seem that much.
And I really do think it's just the the lack of confidence, you know?
And also, most people don't really.
Really leave the city, you know? Yeah.
But yeah, I've definitely in Colombia, too,
have shown a lot of EV owners that you can go to all these places, you know?
So, yeah.
Sandro, you mentioned you've got a Patreon.
What's what's the Web's?
What's the link? Patreon.com.
Is it slash every day?
Sandro, how can people find your Patreon page?
Yeah, that's a Patreon.com slash every day, Sandro.
And yeah, I have a great community and I write every Monday.
They're kind of behind the scenes.
You definitely be mentioned in this as well tomorrow.
And if people do sign up, I write their names on the need to hood
because they're literally carrying me forward.
Yeah, this expression.
And yeah, it's growing every week.
And I'm super excited.
And yeah, it's a more directly for people who can interact with me.
I also I am working on a full charging map
of where I have charged, which is a lot of like,
but it's very valuable information.
And yeah, because I have like 15 adapters for this trip.
I believe it.
Yeah, you'd have to.
Yeah.
YouTube.com slash every day, Sandro.
Patreon.com slash every day, Sandro.
Sandro, thank you so much for taking.
Gosh, now I've kept you for over an hour.
I had a phenomenal time talking to you.
I wish you a safe and fun adventure down to the end
and then wherever your your Model X takes you next.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me.
For sure.
And next time I'm in San Francisco, I'll definitely write you for sure.
Perfect.
This is Bill Daniels, the voice of Night Industries 2000.
Well, I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did.
Check him out again on YouTube as well.
In the meantime, here, if you've got a comment, question, discussion,
topic for the podcast, I would love for you to call in the podcast is long enough
here where I'm going to punt the phone calls to next week.
But I promise I will get to the end of this video.
To your ride the lightning hotline calls on next week's episode.
So give me a call in the meantime.
The two easy ways to do that are one, use your built in voice recording software
on your smartphone, take your call, please try to keep it to 90 seconds or less.
And then just record it and email it to me at Tesla podcast at gmail.com.
Or you can take that same 90 second or less question and call in and leave a
message on the ride the lightning hotline.
It's a toll free number you can dial anytime.
And that number is 1-888-989-8752.
That number again, 1-888-989-TSLA.
Well, before I go, I've got your pro tip of the week and also an entertainment recommendation.
I will preface this by saying I have not finished this season of television yet.
But what I've watched so far is awesome and I love the first season.
And that show is beef on Netflix.
It is definitely not a family friendly show.
So keep that in mind.
But season two actually has nothing to do with season one.
So if you didn't watch season one, you don't need to do any homework for this.
But it's got Oscar Isaac.
I'm really enjoying it so far.
It's a super good show.
So check that out on Netflix if you need a show to watch.
Time for your pro tip of the week.
It comes from Pat in Austin.
Take it away, Pat.
Thanks, Ryan.
It's Pat in Austin.
I don't know if this is considered a pro tip or just a fun tip.
With the new toy box in the update, you can now do custom virtual wraps for your car.
And it's not real easy to do if you want to take all the effort to do it on your own.
But if you just go to Tesla custom wrap and your favorite search engine
and one of the first hit or so is going to be a GitHub site where you could do a custom wrap.
And what I did is I just took the template that was on that page
and pasted it into chat GBT and said, hey, do this in the theme of.
And I did several themes, rusty army tank.
Ava did one called ride the lighting podcast and boom, it does it.
And you can put this on your USB stick and you have a custom wrap
for your Tesla in, you know, 35 seconds or so.
A lot of fun, not much effort, and I enjoyed it.
Thanks for the podcast.
Bye for now. Pat, I appreciate this because I honestly would not have thought
to ask AI to do the formatting work for him for me on this.
It's a great idea.
I'm thrilled that you found it to work really well.
And I'm so happy to share this with your fellow listeners
for anybody else who might want to give this a try.
Thank you so much.
And if anybody else out there's got a pro tip of the week
that you'd like to share with me and your fellow Tesla and EV owners
and enthusiasts, please do call in with it.
And again, there are two easy ways to call in just you send in the pro tips,
just like you would a regular ride the lightning hotline call,
which I gave you the instructions for just a couple minutes ago.
Before I go this week, I want to mention a few friends of ride the lightning
that can hopefully be useful to you at some point.
Maybe that's now, maybe that's next week, next month,
but keep them in the back of your mind and hopefully they will be there
ready for you when you are starting with abstract ocean dot com.
So many great aftermarket Tesla and Rivian accessories, lighting kits,
interior stuff, just it's screen protector.
That's a big one.
I guess I'll mention the screen protectors custom fit for the Tesla center screens.
Because, you know, there's actually like a subtle little curve in the screen
and the abstract ocean screen protector, which is made from gorilla glass,
the same stuff that Corning uses on iPhones and stuff.
That is a beautiful product.
Definitely recommend it for your center screen.
But they've got a million other things.
Check them out abstract ocean dot com.
And when you get everything you like in your online shopping cart
and get to check out, use the coupon code RTL podcast to get 15% off your first order.
That coupon code again is all one word, no spaces RTL podcast at abstract ocean dot com.
The infinity shield is the garage door sensor array.
25 beams going way up at different angles.
Basically, if you have, if there's anything in the path of your garage door opening,
this thing is going to catch it and it's going to stop that door from coming down
to prevent any damage to your, you know, your rear lift gate, your trunk lid,
the glass roof, you know, wherever, whatever might be the case.
You know, most garage door sensors are just that one beam a few inches off the ground.
And that's not going to catch everything or even remotely close to it, obviously.
So the infinity shield is awesome.
It's a really well engineered product.
It's very easy to install, no special tools required.
And really, you buy it once for life.
That's it. You're good to go.
Check it out.
Infinity dash shield dot com and use promo code RTL at checkout for a $35 discount.
RPM Tesla dot com.
They've got over 1400 Tesla products.
A lot of just beautiful aesthetic stuff they've designed.
So steering wheel upgrades, dashboards, spoilers, full carbon fiber body kits
and everything in between.
You got to take a look over there.
If you want to kind of make your car look like your car, just make it your own.
Check them out at RPM Tesla dot com.
They've got over 600 DIY installation videos for the product that you buy
to help you get it on the car properly.
And if you don't like it, if it turns out you change your mind, it's no problem.
No restocking fees, no return shipping that you have to pay for.
Free returns, lifetime warranties.
It's all good for you.
They make it nice and easy.
So check them out at RPM Tesla dot com and use the promo code RTL sale.
S A L E RTL S A L E for an additional 5 to 10% off your next order.
Yes, this discount will be combined with their current discounted sales prices.
Check them out RPM Tesla dot com.
How about the snap plate and the snap plate plus available for all the
Teslas, the Rivians and a whole bunch of other EVs now too.
They've really branched out the product line.
This is an awesome product.
I do recommend it.
If you either want or are legally required to have a front license plate on
your vehicle, go to every amp dot com slash RTL.
And when you've chosen what you'd like to purchase and you get to check
out, use the coupon code RTL for a discount there.
So the snap plate and snap plate plus their nice minimalist design front
end license plate mounting brackets, they go on securely.
But if you ever want to take it off for any reason, whether you're detailing
the car, you're going to a car show, whatever it is, it's going to come
off easily and cleanly without leaving any unsightly, anything behind like
say tape residue, which is exactly what's going to be left behind.
If you use the front license plate mounting bracket that Tesla gives you
with your car and then you want to take it off because Tesla sticks to the
front of your car with automotive tape.
So good luck getting it off without damaging the paint.
That's why it's best to just skip the Tesla one that you get with your car
entirely and get the snap plate or the stronger snap plate plus every amp
dot com slash RTL and use the coupon code RTL for a discount immaculate
reflections.
That's my detail are here in the greater San Francisco Bay area.
So if you're going to be in the greater San Francisco Bay area with your
Tesla or other EV or other car in your garage that you love, make an
appointment at immaculate reflections.
Maybe you're looking to do some paint protection film, maybe ceramic coating
so that you don't have to wax the car for the next five ish years, give or
take. In my case, it was seven years that the first coat of the first round
of ceramic coating from immaculate reflections lasted on our 2018 car.
Maybe you want to do paint correction, get some of those little flaws out of
the finish, get it looking as good as it possibly can.
Maybe it's some combination of those.
Whatever it is, reach out through the website.
I are detailing dot com.
There's a contact button in the middle of the homepage and also in the upper
left corner.
When you click that and reach out, make sure to mention that you're a ride the
lightning listener and any detailing services that you have done will have
that ride the lightning listener discount kindly applied.
My Patreon found at patreon.com slash Tesla podcast.
If you're like, wait, what's Patreon again?
That is the way that you can choose to support this podcast if you like.
So Patreon, maybe you've heard of Kickstarter.
Kickstarter is for where you crowdfund one project.
Like I'm an author and I want to do a book on topic X and I'm going to take
that project to Kickstarter and hope that my fans, my readers will come
together and raise me enough money to get that project done and obviously take
care of your family in the process.
Well, Patreon is kind of similar, except it's meant to support creators
on an ongoing basis.
So podcasters like me, authors, singers, musicians, poets, you name it.
You name the sort of creative field there and Patreon is a great place
to support your favorite creators like Sandro.
You heard earlier in the podcast like me.
So hopefully you at some point say to yourself, you know what, Ryan?
Yes, you've earned my support.
I'm going to support you on Patreon.
So go to my Patreon page found at patreon.com slash Tesla podcast.
The pledge tiers start at just five bucks a month.
And in return for that $5 a month pledge, I will give you an ad free
episode and early access to it.
In this week's case, since I'm recording well in advance, since I'm going
to be away on my baseball trip with my uncles, the Patreon backers will get
very, very, very early access to this show, which hopefully they'll take
advantage of.
And you know, hopefully things like the fact that even when I'm away with
family, I still make sure to show up here every single week for you.
So hopefully I will earn your Patreon support at some point.
And maybe today is that day.
And if it is, thank you so much, patreon.com slash Tesla podcast.
You can follow this podcast on any of the major podcast services, which
is totally free to do.
And the reason that you do that is so that every time there's a new
episode, which in my case is every Sunday at 9 a.m.
Eastern, 6 a.m. Pacific, you get a push notification on your device,
letting you know there's a new episode of ride the lighting that you can
just tap that.
It'll take you straight to the show, start listening, start enjoying.
So search ride the lightning Tesla on any of your favorite podcast services
like Apple podcasts, Spotify, tune in or YouTube podcasts.
You should see this podcast pop right up with that search result.
Click follow.
And that's it.
You're done.
All set.
You can also follow me on X and or on Instagram.
If you'd like the username is the same on both.
And that username is DMC underscore Ryan.
You can also email me about Tesla or EV related stuff at Tesla podcast at
gmail.com.
Before I go, I want to say a hello and thank you to the top tier
Patreon backers.
Now I'm recording this way in advance.
So if you've joined one of these top tiers over the past week and you
don't hear your name called, that's why, because I'm recording this way ahead
of time, I will begin your shout outs on next week's podcast.
So thank you to everybody kindly pledging at these very generous tiers.
I'll start with the maximum plaid tier.
Thank you so much to Jonathan Wales, Cameron Clark, Daniel Grummer,
Seth Capello, the Galpin family, Ryan from New York City, Darren
Nicol, Cos Barnes, Patrick Wiesniewski, Todd Badger, Joe Edgel,
Kevin Yank, the Tesla owners club of San Joaquin Valley, Will
Steadman, Jeremy Harris, Chris Beach, Tom Mills, Corey O'Donnell,
Aaron, Joel Sap, Paul Casarino, Chris Osborn, KB, Adam Lavoie,
Jason Chalukis, Travis Krenzel, Bruce Otterstein, Tom Behan,
Josh Pennington, John from Cream Ridge, New Jersey, Dustin Hart,
Derek Finley, Charles Clement, Damon Klein, Jeff Brown, Jerry
Slinger, Kenneth Corbett, Brian Bertoglio, Kim Bae, Troy
Severs, Chip Hooper, Matt Chinander, Robert Moran, Rav, Christopher
Mann, Michael Williams, Eric Harbert, Scott Sheper, and Tom Tharp.
Next up, the Roadster in Space tier backers.
They are Pete White, Lyle Austin, Steve Radspinner, Fernando
Cordero, Lawton from Chicago, Sean Knightig, Neil Weaver, Jackson
Wallace, Rolf and Jennifer Evers, Howard Anthony Smith, Victoria
Ayacaveto, Tesla Hitchhiker 42, Carol Weston, Robert from
near Philly, American Home Contractors, Doug Carey, Michael
Gallo, and Tony Figueroa.
And as well, the grandfathered in plaid tier supporters.
Thank you for continuing to support George Casiopo, Logan
Willis, Peter Chalet, Eric Randolph, Dory and Steve
Guberman, the Tesla Owners Club of Taiwan, Ron Lee, Charlie
Gillespie, Jeff Anguin, Chase Cabaneas, the Lydia family, Aaron
Altschul, Jared Brown, Jamie Dalton, Mike and Barber from
Louisville, Matt Nixon, the Tesla Owners Club of Wisconsin,
Ish, not Elon Musk in quotes, Peter and the Bear Boys of
Colorado.
Well, that will wrap it up for episode 561 of Ride the
Lightning course on next week's episode.
I will get back to the regular weekly news reaction and
analysis format for you.
But in the meantime, I appreciate you granting me the
ability to step away and enjoy some family time.
And I hope you enjoyed this, as I call them, vacation
episode podcast.
Hopefully you had fun listening to that conversation.
So with that, I wish you happy electric motoring and I'll
see you back here next week.
Elon Musk, people don't like Elon Musk.
The guy founded PayPal and Tesla and people are like, yeah,
but he's a troll and a bad dad.
I'm like, so is mine.
He did nothing to fight climate change.
Also, have you been in a Tesla?
Have you been in a Tesla?
My buddy let me drive his Tesla.
I laughed out loud at how fast it went.
Been clinically depressed my entire life on dozens of
medications in a Tesla for 13 seconds cured forever.
I mean, I think a Tesla is the most fun thing you could
possibly buy ever.
That's what it's meant to be.
Our goal is to make it's it's not exactly a car.
It's actually a thing to maximize enjoyment.
It's maximum fun.
About this episode
Sandro’s journey follows a Model X from the Arctic Circle toward South America, but the real story is how he turned it into a self-sufficient home on wheels. He talks through custom solar panels, a slide-out kitchen, off-grid connectivity with Starlink, and the practical realities of remote travel, from tires to coolant checks. Along the way, he reflects on Alaska, Tesla service, YouTube funding, and the challenge of keeping an EV moving through the Americas.
I'd like you to meet Sandro, a Model X owner who has made some epic journeys in his Tesla, and is currently driving from the northernmost point of our continent at the Arctic Circle to the southernmost tip of South America. It's an incredible story, so stay tuned for that interview!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthly or (10% discounted!) annual pledge. Every little bit helps, and you can support for just $5 per month. And there are stacking bonuses in it for you at each pledge level, like early access to each episode at the $5 tier and the weekly Lightning Round bonus mini-episode (AND the early access!) at the $10 tier! And NO ADS at every Patreon tier!
Also, don't forget to leave a message on the Ride the Lightning hotline anytime with a question, comment, or discussion topic for next week's show! The toll-free number to call is 1-888-989-8752.
INTERESTED IN A FLEXIBLE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR YOUR TESLA? Be a part of the future of transportation with XCare, the first extended warranty designed & built exclusively for EV owners, by EV owners. Use the code Lightning to get $100 off their "One-time Payment" option! Go to www.xcelerateauto.com/xcare to find the extended warranty policy that's right for you and your Tesla.
P.S. Get 15% off your first order of awesome aftermarket Tesla accessories at AbstractOcean.com by using the code RTLpodcast at checkout. Grab the SnapPlate front license plate bracket for any Tesla at https://everyamp.com/RTL/ (don't forget the coupon code RTL too!). Enhance your car with cool carbon-fiber upgrades from RPMTesla.com and use the promo code RTLsale for 5-10% off your next purchase. And make your garage door foolproof with the Infinity Shield – get yours at https://www.infinity-shield.com and use the promo code RTL at checkout for a $35 discount.
