Some useful information if you happen to be caught in an apocalypse: It’s possible to turn a car into a ventilator. Specifically, a Tesla Model 3, as the engineers at the company have shown in a recent video.
It’s a little more intricate an operation than can be executed by your typical road warrior, though. It helps if you have access to a pile of Tesla components, as well as a number of additional bits. You can’t just wheel a Model 3 into a chop shop and wheel out a ventilator, plus scraps.
Greater than the sum of its parts
Tesla hasn’t taken its ventilator into full production yet. The video (above) shows its prototype being developed and assembled. It uses a number of parts from the Model 3, particularly the screen and computer from the vehicle’s infotainment system, as well as sections of the climate control setup.
Parts from the Tesla are in orange/red, while medical components are blue in the schematic at the back of much of the presentation. The eagle-eyed will spot everything from the car’s mixing chamber to valve arrangements as part of the prototype. There’s also a custom manifold made by Tesla… because, well, they’ve got the kit to do it.
The auto maker’s ventilator is not ready for mass production yet but it certainly seems like a workable solution for the shortage in the States — and, possibly, the rest of the world. It’s not like these bits of medical equipment won’t be in demand for the next year or so. COVID-19 isn’t going to disappear overnight. But it could be a lot easier to manage with assistance from folks who don’t usually make medical equipment.
Source: Tesla (YouTube)