Crypto Mining With Your Tesla

Teslas ($TSLA@US) and other EVs function as high-end computers on wheels, offering the potential for owners to use them for more than a trip to the grocery store. Siraj Raval uses his Model 3 to mine crypto. He runs free bitcoin mining software on his Apple Mac mini M1 and powers the computer by plugging an inverter into the 12-volt power socket located in the center console of his car. He hooks up interconnected GPUs to the Tesla front trunk — the frunk — running the machines off the car’s internal battery. Another Tesla owner, Chris Allessi, has gone even further. He bought his Tesla before January 2017, so he gets a lifetime of fast, free charging — he uses the car's battery to dig for Bitcoin with a Bitmain Antminer. He also hacks Tesla's firmware from the car's screen to set up a webpage that lets him dig for the Monero privacy token. Neither man made a fortune in their enterprises — Raval makes $400 to $800 a month and Allessi far less — but the proof of concept is its own reward. As Alessi points out, “Why would you want to put that kind of wear and tear on a $40,000 to $100,000 car?”