Tesla Model Y as… hybrid

Tesla Model Y Hyperhybrid

The Austrian Obrist Powertrain shocked the world in January 2020 with a hybrid version of the Tesla Model 3. Now the larger Tesla Model Y from Obrist also gets a combustion engine under the hood.

Obrist now calls his creation ‘Hyperhybrid’. It is not surprising that the company is converting a Model Y after the Model 3, since the Model Y and the Model 3 are technically identical. The Model Y hands in its large battery pack for a smaller one of 17.3 kWh, with which the electric range suddenly stops at more than 90 km.

To cushion that blow, Obrist mounts a motor in the nose of the Model Y that it calls the “Zero Vibration Generator.” According to the brand, the 999 cc ‘big’ two-cylinder excels in a vibration-free and low-noise loop, which means that the ‘HyperHybrid’ is not much inferior to an EV when it comes to NVH (‘noise, vibration & harchness’). The hybrid is considerably slower than a normal Model Y, because the electric motor between the rear wheels produces only 100 kW (136 hp). The series hybrid must achieve a consumption of 3.3 liters per 100 km, or thick 1 in 30. It is also a plug-in, but Obrist emphasizes that plugs are ‘not mandatory’.

The Austrians seem to be targeting people with an irrational fear of charging cables anyway. Of course, the entire purpose of the HyperHybrid is to make electric driving possible without the associated range stress, although it must be said that a Tesla naturally succeeds in this as far as we are concerned. Unfortunately, the story does not mention where the filler opening for the fuel tank has been removed.

On the outside, the HyperHybrid-Tesla is easily recognizable, because the front bumper is full of cooling openings that a Model Y does not naturally have. The blue car is only a demonstration vehicle and should show what can be done with the powertrain. Obrist therefore mainly sells the combination of power sources and not the complete car.

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