Like it or Not, the Teslonda Made the Rounds in Vegas

Tesla + Honda = Teslonda

When Honda-Tech was at SEMA a couple of months ago, this Honda Accord captured our attention, not because of what it looks like on the outside, but what is going on under the hood. It's a hybrid (in the mashup sense of the word) that might be an omen for the future. Automotive madman Jim Belosic (aka Jimmy Built) managed to cram the drive unit from a Tesla Model S and the battery pack from a Chevy Volt into a 1981 Honda Accord. Although we took a peek at this car back in March of last year, we thought it was worth taking a more recent look at it.

Putting the cart before the horse

We did some research on this car and learned that Belosic and a few good buddies had been hot rodding cars for years, and over that time had wrenched many different vehicles. When electric cars began to make a dent in the automotive market, they decided to try their hand at building an EV. Belosic was going to pick up a salvaged Leaf because he had already been impressed with its potential. But once he got his hands on some salvaged Tesla parts, he decided to go in another direction, using the 1981 Honda Accord he had just purchased as his EV guinea pig.

>>Are you a fan of the Teslonda or does it make you cringe? Join the conversation in Honda-Tech.com.

Going from 68 to 536 HP

The '81 Accord with Oslo Ivory paint and a five-speed transmission was a replica of the car Belosic drove in high school, and it HAD taken him five years to find it. He replaced the Accord's 1.6L 68 HP five-speed with the Performance Large Tesla Drive Unit package from HSR, which has a 400 kW (536 HP) peak power output. He also added a 436-lb Chevy Volt EV battery pack, which supports a higher discharge than Tesla’s battery, but Tesla’s drive unit is more powerful than the Volt’s. It makes combining the two an interesting idea for an all-electric drag racing car.

>>Are you a fan of the Teslonda or does it make you cringe? Join the conversation in Honda-Tech.com.

Only a few extra pounds

Belosic admits that he loved the idea of squeezing a Tesla drivetrain into the tiny, lightweight body of an '80s sedan because "it would cause people to lose their frickin' minds." Quite surprisingly, the new engine didn't add a lot of weight to the car at all, mostly because the components he had to remove—such as the engine, tranny, subframe, rear suspension, gas tank, and exhaust—were much heavier than the aluminum parts he was installing. At the end of the day, the 1981 Honda Accord, weighing in at 2,350 lbs, became a 2018 Teslanda at a modestly heavier 2,418 lbs.

>>Are you a fan of the Teslonda or does it make you cringe? Join the conversation in Honda-Tech.com.

A build sheet worthy of a chuckle

Perhaps the most challenging part of the build came after the Model S parts were installed. Remaining parts were chosen based on whether or not they would fit into the engine bay. The radiator came from a 500-cc Polaris quad. The water pump from an Audi S4. The front steering and suspension parts came from Fords dating between 1928 and 1941. One of the trickiest parts to source was the charging port where the fuel filler used to be. He wound up buying an unbranded Chinese charger called a TC Charger. The story goes that there were no instructions included, so they had to improvise in getting it to work. 

>>Are you a fan of the Teslonda or does it make you cringe? Join the conversation in Honda-Tech.com.

A Gasser-style dragster

It almost goes without saying that the components swapped into the Teslonda didn't fit so neatly underneath the car at its stock ride height, so Belosic added about six inches of height in the front. According to Jalopnick, "Gasser-style drag builds from the 1960s inspired Jim to leave his Honda riding high. Also, the idea of an electric Gasser—a contradiction in terms if there ever was one—made him chuckle."

In order to adjust for the awkward slant of the rear rising to meet the front, Belosic chopped the rear fenders and fit huge, 305/45 R18-size Mickey Thompson ET Street R street-legal drag tires in the back, evening out the car's height. 

>>Are you a fan of the Teslonda or does it make you cringe? Join the conversation in Honda-Tech.com.

0-60 in 2.48 Seconds

In order to send power to the back wheels, Belosic had to reinforce the subframe of the Honda's back end because Honda didn't send any power to the rear wheels so there was never much of a reason to reinforce it back in the day. Here's a quick look at the control and battery systems for Jimmy Built's Tesla-powered 1981 Honda Accord that Belosic estimates will carry a range of 60 to 70 miles. Be sure to check out the 0-60 mph testing at the end of the video.

“Some of our first 0-60 mph testing in Teslonda," commented Jimmy in his description of the video. "We managed to get 2.7 seconds out of her, and that is with 38-degree asphalt, cold tires, and a cold battery. I’m thinking 2.5 seconds is possible.”

>>Are you a fan of the Teslonda or does it make you cringe? Join the conversation in Honda-Tech.com.

And it can do a burn out, too

If you don't think so, check out this video to see for yourself. Of course, if you close your eyes, you'd never know anything was burning as this car is as quiet as a... well, an EV. As we move toward an electric future, will we start seeing more and more of these engine swaps? The short answer is yes, thanks to a new company started by Jason Hughes, a prominent Tesla hacker and tinkerer who is buying up Tesla Model S and Model X salvaged vehicles for future electric conversions. Whether you like it or not, clearly Jimmy Built was onto something here.

Details

• 1981 Honda Accord
• 2,438 lbs
• Tesla Model S P85 motor
• Chevy Volt Battery pack
• 16kWh capacity
• About 50 miles of range

Any questions about this Teslonda? You can email Jimmy at teslonda@gmail.com.

>>Are you a fan of the Teslonda or does it make you cringe? Join the conversation in Honda-Tech.com.