Vape battery-powered car boasts 18-mile range, 35mph top speed, USB-C charging port — 500 vape batteries power early 2000s Reva G.Wiz
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Chris Doel, a TechTuber known for repurposing discarded vape components, has taken his 500‑vape‑battery powerwall and installed it in a quarter‑century‑old electric car. The result is a functional, vape‑powered vehicle that can be charged via USB‑C.
Choosing the Reva G.Wiz
Doel selected the early‑2000s Reva G.Wiz, a compact electric car that weighs about 400 kg and originally used a 48 V lead‑acid battery pack. Its modest power requirements (≈50 V) matched well with the 50 V output of his vape‑battery powerwall.
- In contrast, a modern Tesla would need roughly 12 000 vape cells and a sophisticated battery‑management system to achieve comparable performance.
- The G.Wiz can draw up to 350 A when the pedal is floored, but the vape pack is rated for only ~120 A, so Doel limited the inverter’s output to stay within safe limits.
A USB‑C charger was also connected to the pack, making the G.Wiz the first USB‑C‑charged car.
Test drive shows vehicle has an 18‑mile range
After installing the vape pack, Doel performed a cautious test drive:
- Top speed: 35 mph
- Regenerative braking: functional at 10 A
- Power draw:
- 100 A on a moderate uphill stretch
- 150 A on a steeper hill (the car managed the climb)
- Battery performance: The pack supplied power until cell bank 12 failed, giving the car an 18‑mile range.
- Temperature: The highest cell temperature recorded was 19 °C (winter conditions in the UK).
During the drive Doel stopped at a McDonald’s drive‑through and a tool store, and demonstrated that the car’s wipers and headlights operate without depleting the pack excessively.
The video concludes with a light‑hearted “vape exhaust” installed on the G.Wiz, highlighting the quirky nature of the project.