Revival of the legendary Tesla Model S P85+ Signature electric car

Let the smart people calculate the amount of energy consumed and the capacity of the power grid, finding reasons to deny the spread of electric vehicles. We are going our own way, believing in a clean future, helping and supporting everyone who is on the same page with us. And they reciprocate.

Background

And above all, people like Raphaël De Mestre. After all, he is an enthusiastic person who subtly senses the trends of innovation and boldly proves their truth and real possibilities. When asked about how he came to electric mobility, he always says:

"I felt that this was our future and bought one of the first Tesla Roadsters in the spring of 2011. Back then, few people believed in electric cars. And in 2012, I was told that it was impossible to drive around the world in an electric car, but I did it on my own. For the first time, I proved that electric cars are reliable and capable of covering long distances."

Since then, he has set four world records with the Tesla Roadster, which has since rested for a long time in a German museum and is now sailing to the Americas to make history once again. And this time, the Tesla Roadster will be the world's first electric vehicle to make an eco-friendly trip across the Pacific Ocean completely emission-free.

Rafael managed to drive around the world for the second time in 2016, but this time as part of a world tour and in a Tesla Model S P85+ Signature, which he bought in 2013. It was this Tesla Model S that became Rafael's home, his faithful companion and friend. He has driven it to important meetings, crossed oceans in it, slept in it, and covered more than 400,000 kilometres with it.

And an unexpected accident in June 2020, when the car skidded on a slippery road in Germany, resulted in the Tesla being crashed. Rafael escaped with minor injuries, but had to be cut out of the car. The car was heavily damaged in the accident.

Rafael reported on the situation on social media, saying that he did not want to part with this particular electric car and was looking for ways to repair it. The Germans responded to Raphael's request by saying that the electric car could not be repaired. In turn, Tesla agreed to help, but their price list for repairs showed an amount of more than 70 thousand euros, which is the cost of a new car.

Then ECOFACTOR stepped in and promised to repair the machine for a more modest sum. And Rafael gladly agreed.

"Doing the impossible - these are the words I associate with Ukraine. Moreover, when the world knew virtually nothing about electric cars, back in 2012, I saw the first do-it-yourself electric cars here in Ukraine, in Odesa," says Raphael.

Saving a legend

Rafael brought the car himself. The car was able to move, but the front end, part of the interior, glass, both bumpers, radiators, front pillars, doors were completely smashed, and the front torpedo was badly damaged.

As Ivan Popov, the shop foreman, recalls: "When we saw the car, we had only one thought - we'll do it. We were worried that Tesla hadn't been running for a long time and that the main battery was completely discharged. We had to make sure it was in good condition. And the first thing we did was to charge the electric car."

It turned out that the main units and systems were not damaged. We had to restore everything. To do this, we had to order a "donor" without a battery and engine.

"We were waiting for a donor for about three months. Then everything went faster. The front fenders, windscreen pillars, upper shelves of the front cup holders were replaced, the rear left wing and boot lid were straightened. The car was completely repainted. Several levers were changed, the wheels were refurbished, and the radiators and fans were replaced. The interior was cleaned and left as much as possible in its original state, and the badly damaged parts were taken from the donor's car," says Ivan.

The repair took another month and a half. All in all, it took about six months. And seven months after the car was delivered to Ukraine, the owner came to collect it.

Rafael saw his Tesla Model S P85+ Signature in a fully restored condition, with even the leather on the seats in the cabin and partially on the centre console remaining the same. His emotions were indescribable.

"I really wanted my car to retain as many original materials and parts as possible. It is a memory of my travels with it, and we have driven more than 460 thousand kilometres. And the Ukrainian craftsmen listened to me. Even the aroma of my car is preserved here, along with the decoration. I'm just delighted," says Rafael.

A big role

As a thank you and respect for the people of Odesa, Raphael presented an updated programme for the next 80eDays world run, where Odesa became another Ukrainian city that the participants will pass through during their run.

"Initially, the plan was to leave Ukraine through the Polish border, but I managed to negotiate with Raphael and change the route, taking the participants through a larger area of our country. It is a great honour for us to host one of the stages of the 80days rally in Odesa, and we are actively working to integrate Ukraine into the global electric vehicle community. Once again, we will be able to declare our country to the whole world from the position of creation and awareness," says Sergey.

The Odesa part of the marathon will be organised by ECOFACTOR, the electric mobility development centre in Ukraine, headed by Sergey Velchev. It is planned to plant a tree in Odesa, which will become a symbol of the city's involvement in the environmental movement.