Tesla deals exclusively with electric vehicles, while some automakers deal mainly with gas-powered ones and offer EVs on the side. However, one particular Tesla Model S found its way onto a dealership lot, confounding a mechanic who was expected to perform an oil change, according to Inside EVs. What was going on?

Who is the YouTuber team Vlog Creations and what’s the channel about?

Vlog Creations was explicitly created for comedic and entertaining purposes and is led by Ross, one of the creators on YouTube. He built the channel within a niche in the creative pranking area, which they strive to do tastefully. There are many videos of them performing gags such as switching elevator buttons, controlling other people’s computers, and sneaking money into unsuspecting people’s pockets. So, they’re not an automotive channel, like you might expect with this recent prank. 

With the help of Ross’ dad, they snagged a Tesla and transformed it to play a joke. They then set out with Ross playing an unusual persona and had him drive off to a mechanic’s shop.

How his electric vehicle/gas-powered conversion Tesla prank went down

We all know that Teslas are electric vehicles. Still, for the video, Ross, of Vlog Creations YouTube channel, had an internal combustion engine (ICE) installed under the front hood of a Tesla Model S. A similar project was seen on Rich Rebuilds YouTube channel which created it for different reasons. 

As with any gas-powered vehicle, you need to make sure the oil gets changed at regular intervals. So, of course, Ross took the Tesla to a maintenance shop to get that done. Imagine the look on the mechanic’s face when he saw the vehicle he would be working on was a Tesla. 

He even told Ross, disguised as a dumb guy, that it was an electric vehicle and didn’t need an oil change. After listening to Ross explain that it needed maintenance and that he got the car off of “Gregslist,” the mechanic finally got in the Tesla and started it up. The car roared to life as any souped-up engine would.

The gag continues with the mechanic doing his job and Rich making dim-witted remarks to keep up his dumb guy persona. For example, he asks where the “oil chain” was. The technician didn’t know what he was talking about until Rich asked, “What are you chaining then?” That prompted an explanation that he was changing the oil in the car. 

In the end, Ross finally revealed the prank and even pointed out where the cameras were located in the shop. The technician took it in stride and had a good laugh at himself. 

Is an ICE converted Tesla Model S feasible as a daily driver?

The conversion that Rich Rebuilds took on with their channel shows that it is possible. Of course, you’re not going to get the exact same environmentally friendly vehicle that an electric car would offer. Still, the Chevy V8 engine the team dropped into their Tesla shell gave it plenty of power. 

The Model S Ross and Vlog Creations put together was built specifically for the prank and took a few weeks to complete. The car Rich Rebuilds’ team transformed was more of a challenge to themselves, and it was a process that took about a year. 

The vehicle designs they take on aren’t something that gets thrown away after they’re done with it. Their V8 Tesla wasn’t built for any gags, but they did have some fun showing off the end result around town. They couldn’t help but roll into the nearest Chevy dealership with the vehicle they dubbed “ICE T.” 

While the gas-powered Tesla-modified car sounds pretty cool, it’s not likely to be practical in the long run. Not only will it produce emissions, but it will also become much noisier and won’t save you money on fuel, which goes against the whole point of a Tesla. But, hey, it was a funny prank.