Revenge 242
But how would Tesla convince the Germans? Tesla
came up with the idea to rebuild a tiny Daimler Smart car
by equipping it with their electric motor and battery pack.
“We need to make an electric Smart car in six weeks. Can
you do it?” Elon asked Straubel. He accepted the challenge.
This was during the development of the Roadster, so Tesla
had to use some engineers from the Roadster to work with
this new project. Rebuilding the Smart became a gamble,
but Elon thought if they could prove themselves to Daimler,
they could win a valuable contract. They had to try. This
could validate Tesla in the eyes of the world, and they
needed the cash.^210
The Smart wasn’t for sale in the US, so they had to send
someone to Tijuana, Mexico, to buy one and bring it back.
A Tesla engineer had a friend who spoke Spanish and could
travel down to pick up the car, but he needed money to pay
for it. “I need $20 000 in cash in a bag right now,” Straubel
told the finance department. “We’re sending someone to
Tijuana to buy a Smart car.” Three days later, the Smart
arrived to the Tesla facility.^210
Rebuilding the car in six weeks wouldn’t be an easy
task. When they became tired, they slept underneath a
stair. Despite the low odds, the Smart was ready at exactly
the right moment. Straubel sat down in the driver’s seat,
floored the pedal, and the Smart rocketed out of the garage.
It used a modified version of the Roadster’s engine, so
the front wheels of the much smaller Smart lifted from
the ground and the rear tires left black marks on the
workshop’s floor.^210