When an informal shakedown leads to a Monster proposal…

As mentioned last month, we decided to dive into the deep end and agree to shakedown the Tesla-powered R32, that we have now dubbed the ER32, at Fueltopia’s Fomula G weekend. But before the fun could start, we had a lot to get buttoned up.

Tesla R32 Skyline Zero EV UK

First we cracked on with getting the dash all wired in, including the Feelworld 4k digital display. It will be the new focal point of the interior with all the vital information being relayed via the 4k screen.

Tesla R32 Skyline driving

During the build process, we have solely concentrated on the mechanics and fabrication of getting the car working, and haven’t given a second thought to the aesthetics of the car, but as the Formula G is a public event we thought it would be a good idea to get the car, at the very least, presentable. We tidied up the matt black hue and then had some fresh stickers cut, including the all-important GT Tesla sticker, and, of course, some Zero EV livery too!

Tesla R32 Skyline UI

The guys at Fueltopia made sure we had a charging point at the Formula G event. Well, you can’t just take a jerrycan of electricity with you and it’d be a very short weekend without one. After unloading the ER32, we got to work with the shakedown. We knew we wouldn’t qualify for the main event, but this was all about finding and fixing all the problems you can’t foresee in the garage.

Tesla R32 Skyline decals

It wasn’t too long until we found the first problem: the hydraulic handbrake was playing up. The solution was to use the Tesla’s regenerative braking system to see if we could programme it to lock the wheels when jumping off the fast pedal. And it only bloody worked, and better than expected too. The magic setting was 70-percent in 20ms (milliseconds).

Tesla R32 Skyline GT Logo

The next glitch wasn’t too far away either, as the car kept tripping-out off the start line (this is the equivalent of a combustion engine stalling/cutting out) due to a large current spike. The spike would then activate the safety trip in the computer that in turn cuts the power. The savior was again the regenerative system – we fitted a regen activation button to pre-charge the inverter, and this acted as a type of launch control system that bypassed the safety trip.

Tesla R32 Skyline design

Unfortunately all of these tweaks took up the majority of the weekend but that’s exactly what shakedowns are all about. Whilst we were there, Luke Woodham, professional drifter and Monster Energy driver, took an interest in the car and actually took it out for a test spin. He was so impressed by the instant power and potential of the car that he has even asked if he can use it in a future event! This build is about to get even more interesting…

SPENT THIS MONTH
Stickers £120
Tyres £80
Display £ lets just say a lot!

TOTAL £200+ and then some

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See previous ZERO EV TESLA POWERED R32 SKYLINE articles