Most people wouldn’t dream of taking a Tesla Model X on a routine cross-country drive, but YouTuber Everyday Sandro is attempting an automotive Everest. Driving his customized electric vehicle from Canada all the way to Argentina. This is arguably one of the most ambitious EV road trips ever conceived, precisely because the charging infrastructure south of the US border is a bit of a disaster.
Having conquered North America, Sandro’s trusty 2023 Model X had to be shipped past the notorious Darién Gap. After three long weeks of customs red tape and ocean transit, the electric camper finally reappeared in Cartagena, Colombia.
While the battery survived the deep-sea journey intact, the interior told a different story. Trapped humidity had turned Sandro’s “home on wheels” into a microbial nightmare, battling an invasive mold outbreak. The customized Model X, complete with solar panels on the hood and a compact kitchen, had become a fungal biohazard.
Despite the fact that his high-tech EV now required a hazmat suit and a thorough cleaning, Sandro was overjoyed. The mold cleanup was priority number one, but the next challenge proved unexpectedly difficult. Figuring out how to charge his Tesla.
Sandro quickly discovered that while Colombia does have fast-charging stations, accessing them as a foreigner is an exercise in bureaucratic humiliation. The local charging network demands a national ID number, a local phone service, and even a domestic bank account. Sandro, possessing none of the above, spent two fruitless hours trying to create a charging account.
Just as his monumental EV road trip seemed ready to stall indefinitely in Cartagena, fate intervened. A kind-hearted local stepped in, creating a temporary charging account for Sandro and even linking his own local debit card to get the Tesla powered up. This touching act of stranger generosity was what it took to keep the technologically advanced “Beluga” moving. With a full battery and a hopefully de-molded interior, Sandro’s epic South American journey had only just begun.
