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Meet the Teslonda: A 1981 Honda Accord That Goes Ludicrously Fast

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Teslonda

Electric powertrain conversions are nothing new, but with the increased volume of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roads, it should perhaps come as no surprise that more conversions are taking place—and more absolutely insane conversions at that.

For some unknown reason, EV powertrain conversions seem to be especially popular on old models. Maybe this is because older models are simpler and therefore easier to work with. Or maybe it is because the contrast between the ancient bodywork and the modern powertrain is too amusing to pass up.

Either way, this latest conversion by Jimmy Belosic is possibly the craziest yet. It matches a 1981 Honda Accord with parts of a Tesla powertrain and Chevy Bolt batteries and it thus appropriately called the “Teslonda.” You can watch it take off in the brief clip below.


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What’s especially interesting is that despite producing insane amounts of power, the Teslonda is much lighter than a Model S: 2,418 lb compared to at least 4,469 lb, respectively. As a result, there isn’t a lot of weight on the rear wheels and the car finds itself traction-limited, even though it currently rides on Mickey Thompson drag racing slicks.

Belosic thinks the car can do the 0-60 mph sprint in 2.5 seconds or less with the right temperature and surface conditions, but he’s aiming for much better than even that. “My end goal is to get it to 1.9 seconds to match the upcoming Tesla Roadster,” he said. “I’d love to have a car that costs less than $20,000 to build beat a supercar.”


Modern Accord: Check out the latest version of the car in the video below