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The full story is told in the video: This is/was a very early, first-generation Tesla Model S. He imported it from the US to Finland before you could buy Teslas

The full story is told in the video: This is/was a very early, first-generation Tesla Model S. He imported it from the US to Finland before you could buy Teslas in Finland. The battery began to wear out, so he replaced it with a non-Tesla, third party battery. This was later damaged, and Tesla refused to fix it, both because it had a non-Tesla battery inside it, but also because Finnish service centers are not equipped to repair US specification Teslas. Why he decided to then blow it up... well that must be a Finnish thing. He did remove the batteries and motors first, though.

RyJones 5y ago
I worked to blow up a toilet for Dave Barry’s edification[0] a little while ago[1]. While it was fun, we were picking up porcelain for years after. Do not recommend. 0: https://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/2008/04/we-have-never-f.html https://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/2008/04/we-have-ne... 1: https://youtu.be/yMQO8SuWDzk https://youtu.be/yMQO8SuWDzk
tomohawk 5y ago
Compare this to Honda. I bring my car to the dealership for a repair and they see non-OEM parts on there. Surprise! They still repair it! It's amazing!
- steelbrain 5y ago
  I think you may be comparing Apples to Oranges here. Battery is to a Tesla what Engine is to a ICE Honda. Try asking Honda Dealership to fix a non Honda Engine that's started acting out.
  - dmoy 5y ago
    Sure but you can replace the engine entirely for a lot cheaper than $22,000
    - adventured 5y ago
      You're likely to be dealing with a Honda that isn't even worth $22,000. How does that make sense as a reference issue? The Model S is a very expensive vehicle and the consumers buying one know what they're getting in to (otherwise they're spending six figures on a vehicle obliviously, so they're exceptionally negligent and it's still their fault). The Finnish guy in question plainly knew what he was getting in to, he spent a lot of money and went through the hassle to get the car over to Finland in the first place. You can bet he knew the batteries were very expensive before he got himself into that mess.
      - throwawayboise 5y ago
        I would wager that all that the the majority of Tesla buyers know that they are getting into is "It's a Tesla." It is a social statement/signal/fashion accessory as much as it is a car.
        manicdee 5y ago
        Why is your car not a compact econobox? If you have reasons other than social/virtue/fashion signal then perhaps your statement is not true at all?
        BoorishBears 5y ago
        Without taking sides, the reason people say that about the Model S is the price-to-performance ratio when taken holistically: For example, the 0-60 times of the non-Plaid Model S trims are excellent... but the braking is poor across the board, the non-Plaid Model S run out of steam very quickly at higher speeds, etc. So not a great performance value unless you're only looking at the Plaid and plan to drag race... - And the luxury is great compared to an econobox... but again, you get in a $65,000 ICE and the materials are much better, fit and finish are better, noise levels are better (drivetrains are usually not the main source of noise in cars, tires and wind are) So not exactly a great luxury cad, and luxury cars aren't known for value to start. - And the eco aspect, yes you can argue you're doing something great for the environment... but spending $60k+ on a new car is not exactly the best way to save the environment... You could pick up a reliable used luxury vehicle that gets around 35 mpg like a Lexus HS. It'll take almost 3 years driving to even catch up to the CO2 cost of even the lowest capacity Model S (remember it's not just the battery, it's the entire car. manufacturing cars is intensive stuff regardless of drivetrain) - Now all this isn't to say a Model S is a terrible car, but it's something where, if one looks on paper, it's not as easy to justify buying as the sales figures imply. So there has to be something missing... and that's usually the social/virtue/fashion/cool factor. And there's honestly nothing wrong with that, people don't like to be told this but: we all care a little more about appearances than we let on. Even if you're not consciously thinking "A tesla is a fashion accessory", you're more likely to think: - Replacing the center console with a touchscreen is so cool and futuristic! Than the truth: - Replacing the center console with a touchscreen was a way to make things easier on Tesla: Touchscreens are cheaper once you remember how much tooling is involved in a traditional center console, and what it does it tact time
- bufferoverflow 5y ago
  Yeah, but you have to drive a Honda. And don't get me wrong, our second car is Honda Pilot. It's OK, but it's no Tesla.
  - lordloki 5y ago
    I know, right? Hondas are well built and reliable.
  - dharmab 5y ago
    But you meet the nicest people on a Honda!
- gameswithgo 5y ago
  I have never heard of a dealership repairing the part that is not oem. If you bring a tesla with non oem battery they may still repair your brakes. They will not repair the battery.
2OEH8eoCRo0 5y ago
What is the cost of a new model 3 battery then? I'm finding that it's still upwards of $10,000.
chasil 5y ago
Why didn't he just replace it with another third-party battery? I'm guessing that there was more firmware trouble that severely impacted the car. No, I won't be buying one of those, and I will be keeping my Honda as well. The multiple views of the explosion will probably follow Tesla for the next decade, which they likely deserve.

RyJones 5y ago

I worked to blow up a toilet for Dave Barry’s edification[0] a little while ago[1]. While it was fun, we were picking up porcelain for years after. Do not recommend. 0: https://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/2008/04/we-have-never-f.html https://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/2008/04/we-have-ne... 1: https://youtu.be/yMQO8SuWDzk https://youtu.be/yMQO8SuWDzk

tomohawk 5y ago

Compare this to Honda. I bring my car to the dealership for a repair and they see non-OEM parts on there. Surprise! They still repair it! It's amazing!

steelbrain 5y ago
I think you may be comparing Apples to Oranges here. Battery is to a Tesla what Engine is to a ICE Honda. Try asking Honda Dealership to fix a non Honda Engine that's started acting out.
- dmoy 5y ago
  Sure but you can replace the engine entirely for a lot cheaper than $22,000
  - adventured 5y ago
    You're likely to be dealing with a Honda that isn't even worth $22,000. How does that make sense as a reference issue? The Model S is a very expensive vehicle and the consumers buying one know what they're getting in to (otherwise they're spending six figures on a vehicle obliviously, so they're exceptionally negligent and it's still their fault). The Finnish guy in question plainly knew what he was getting in to, he spent a lot of money and went through the hassle to get the car over to Finland in the first place. You can bet he knew the batteries were very expensive before he got himself into that mess.
    - throwawayboise 5y ago
      I would wager that all that the the majority of Tesla buyers know that they are getting into is "It's a Tesla." It is a social statement/signal/fashion accessory as much as it is a car.
      - manicdee 5y ago
        Why is your car not a compact econobox? If you have reasons other than social/virtue/fashion signal then perhaps your statement is not true at all?
        BoorishBears 5y ago
        Without taking sides, the reason people say that about the Model S is the price-to-performance ratio when taken holistically: For example, the 0-60 times of the non-Plaid Model S trims are excellent... but the braking is poor across the board, the non-Plaid Model S run out of steam very quickly at higher speeds, etc. So not a great performance value unless you're only looking at the Plaid and plan to drag race... - And the luxury is great compared to an econobox... but again, you get in a $65,000 ICE and the materials are much better, fit and finish are better, noise levels are better (drivetrains are usually not the main source of noise in cars, tires and wind are) So not exactly a great luxury cad, and luxury cars aren't known for value to start. - And the eco aspect, yes you can argue you're doing something great for the environment... but spending $60k+ on a new car is not exactly the best way to save the environment... You could pick up a reliable used luxury vehicle that gets around 35 mpg like a Lexus HS. It'll take almost 3 years driving to even catch up to the CO2 cost of even the lowest capacity Model S (remember it's not just the battery, it's the entire car. manufacturing cars is intensive stuff regardless of drivetrain) - Now all this isn't to say a Model S is a terrible car, but it's something where, if one looks on paper, it's not as easy to justify buying as the sales figures imply. So there has to be something missing... and that's usually the social/virtue/fashion/cool factor. And there's honestly nothing wrong with that, people don't like to be told this but: we all care a little more about appearances than we let on. Even if you're not consciously thinking "A tesla is a fashion accessory", you're more likely to think: - Replacing the center console with a touchscreen is so cool and futuristic! Than the truth: - Replacing the center console with a touchscreen was a way to make things easier on Tesla: Touchscreens are cheaper once you remember how much tooling is involved in a traditional center console, and what it does it tact time
bufferoverflow 5y ago
Yeah, but you have to drive a Honda. And don't get me wrong, our second car is Honda Pilot. It's OK, but it's no Tesla.
- lordloki 5y ago
  I know, right? Hondas are well built and reliable.
- dharmab 5y ago
  But you meet the nicest people on a Honda!
gameswithgo 5y ago
I have never heard of a dealership repairing the part that is not oem. If you bring a tesla with non oem battery they may still repair your brakes. They will not repair the battery.

2OEH8eoCRo0 5y ago

What is the cost of a new model 3 battery then? I'm finding that it's still upwards of $10,000.

chasil 5y ago

Why didn't he just replace it with another third-party battery? I'm guessing that there was more firmware trouble that severely impacted the car. No, I won't be buying one of those, and I will be keeping my Honda as well. The multiple views of the explosion will probably follow Tesla for the next decade, which they likely deserve.