There are a number of videos out there that are bound to cause physical pain to electric car enthusiasts. A recently uploaded video featuring what appears to be a prolific social media influencer is definitely one of them. The clip was short, and it does feature an impressive display of Autopilot’s capability to stay in lane, but it is also quite painful to watch.
The video was only 6 seconds long, but in that period, one could not help see and hear the Model 3’s driver just kicking the living daylights out of the all electric sedan’s infotainment system. A brief zoom out of the video showed that the driver seemed to be having fun trashing the Model 3’s 15 inch touchscreen, and sure enough, the display started cracking after a few hits. The hinge on the Model 3’s infotainment system also seemed to move from its place after a few well timed kicks.
Interestingly enough, the Model 3, which was on Autopilot, seemed to be practically unaffected by what the driver was doing to its infotainment system. Despite getting its media control unit trashed and likely destroyed, the all electric sedan drove confidently forward. The driver also seemed to be quite experienced with Tesla’s Autopilot, as he was ironically careful about moving the steering wheel or pressing the vehicle’s pedals, both of which may have disengaged the system.
Based on the fact that the Model 3 in the video did not seem to have a roof anymore, as well as the driver’s general antics, it appears that one behind the wheel was YouTuber and social media influencer Danny Duncan, who has made a name for himself doing, unsurprisingly, pranks, stunts, and causing general mayhem. It should be noted that he does seem fond of Teslas in general, as evidenced by one of his vehicles being a white Model 3 with a longhorn mod. He also gave away a Tesla Model 3 to one of his friends as a goodwill gesture.
That being said, the Model 3 Duncan was trashing in the recent video seems to be a black unit that he recently “converted” into a convertible. The double quotes are here since the actual “conversion” involved destroying the Model 3’s glass roof and taking a power saw to give the vehicle a top down look. A video featuring the vehicle’s conversion process also included someone jumping on the hood and denting it.
The reasons behind the recent stunts have not been fully revealed by the YouTuber yet, but considering Duncan’s brand of content, the trashing of the Model 3’s infotainment system while Autopilot was on would likely be included in an upcoming video. Painful as it is to watch, after all, seeing a Model 3 and Autopilot soldiering on despite getting its infotainment system decimated is quite fascinating to see.
