Eek! Are Tesla Cars Really Attracting Rats and Rodents with Soy-Based Wiring?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

New reports have shown what could be any car owner’s nightmare: some Tesla models are reportedly attracting rodents and rats. If that isn’t icky enough, there is some sound reasoning behind what could be causing this problem, leaving some Tesla owners a bit finicky when it comes time to get into their vehicles. The reports supposedly began with one woman’s report of a rat falling out of her Tesla glove compartment, and since then, many owners have also reportedly come forward with similar issues — and it might not be the first time we’ve heard about something similar.

Reports of rats leaves owners unsettled

Tesla Model 3 | Gao Yuwen, VCG, Getty Images

The NY Post recently released a terrifying story that recounts the tale of a Tesla owner named Sarah Williams of Manhattan who daily drives her 2018 Model 3 into the Bronx — which means as a commuter vehicle, there was no issue with the vehicle being stored long term, so seemingly no reason for any rodents to find a home here. She became aware of the situation when bringing her vehicle into the dealership in mid-may when her air conditioning stopped working, only to discover that there was a rat in the glovebox.

The air conditioning issue may have occurred as a result of the resident rat chewing through several wires, which isn’t an unheard-of problem as rats, mice, and some other rodents have been known to chew electrical wires on occasion. But, with many others stepping up to share their similar stories and concerns, it appears that there is another prominent issue at hand, and Tesla isn’t the only manufacturer that has seen this problem.

This isn’t the first time we’ve found rodents to be attracted to soy-based electric wires

A red 2021 Tesla Model 3 speeds down the highway.
2021 Tesla Model 3 | Tesla

Wiring insulation within a vehicle is a critical element of the system’s electrical components, and while vehicles in the past have been known to use an insulation material based on oil-based products, many new manufacturers, including Tesla, have opted for a soy-based insulation product. This is the first time a product with soy-based wire insulation has arisen either, as there was a class-action lawsuit against Toyota regarding a similar situation in which rats were being attracted to the wire because of the product.

Why do manufacturers like Tesla continue to use soy-based wiring?

If soy-based wiring insulation has become such an issue for owners, why would manufacturers continue to use it? While there are more than a few cases of rats, rabbits, and mice getting into cars to enjoy the tasty treat that they seem to think soy-based electrical wires are, it isn’t as common as a problem as most people think — though there is no national statistics or average. This issue also isn’t exclusive to cars with soy-based wiring, as some rodents have been known to gnaw on older car wires as well, meaning it isn’t totally avoidable. However, manufacturers like Tesla weigh out the pros with this con and seem to think it is worth it to continue using the soy-based wiring.

Soy-based wiring replaced petroleum-based wiring for many modern-day manufacturers for several reasons. The simplest of which is that it is much cheaper to produce, meaning the manufacturers can spend less money on electrical wiring. Soy-based wiring is also better for the environment because it doesn’t require the refinement and processing of petroleum products.

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Drake Started With a Chevy Malibu, and Now He’s Here With the Champagne of Car Collections

by Gabrielle DeSantis

By now, most people have at least heard of Drake and have probably listened to a couple of his hit songs. Many people’s first introduction to the rapper, however, came when he acted on a popular Canadian TV show in the early 2000s. Since then, Drake has become one of the biggest celebrities and has made millions of dollars, some of which he likes to spend on his incredible car collection.

Drake: The early years

Drake performs onstage at Phillips Arena in June 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia | Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Drake grew up as Aubrey Drake Graham in Toronto, Canada, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His father, Dennis Graham, was a drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis, and his uncle Larry Graham played bass for Prince, Biography reports.

Graham went to high school with an entertainment agent’s son, and he eventually auditioned for the agent, later becoming his client. In 2001, Drake landed the role of Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation, a Canadian teen drama popular in Canada and the United States.

Drake stayed on the show for seven years, from 2001 to 2009, and throughout that time, he began working to transition to a career in music. He released Room for Improvement, his first mixtape, in 2006, and his second mixtape, Comeback Season, a year later. In 2008, Drake received a call from Lil Wayne to join him on his Carter III tour. From there, Drake’s music career has taken off with huge hits, such as “Best I Ever Had,” “Forever,” and “Hotline Bling”

His 1st car

Before Drake hit mainstream success and made his fortune, now estimated to be $200 million, Celebrity Net Worth reports, he drove a 1998 Chevy Malibu. The rapper said on Instagram that this was his first car with the caption, “First Car. First Crew. ATF.”

Complex reports that his Malibu was among the fifth generation, which was manufactured from 1997 to 2003. This generation featured front-wheel drive and had a base MRSP of $18,682. The 1998 Malibu gets an estimated 23 mpg in the city and is capable of producing up to 150 hp with the base engine. The car gets fairly average reviews from most automotive sites.

Interestingly, Drake also posted a 2004 Acura TSX, which appears to be his first car after landing the role on Degrassi. Complex also mentions that Drake gave a tour of his house when he was just getting started and called his Acura “my baby.”

Drake now has an impressive car collection

Drake owns several weird and rare machines, including a Ferrari LaFerrari — a Batmobile-esq sports car that’s one of only 499 ever made, GQ reported.

He also owns a 2017 Bentley Mulsanne, which cost over $300,000 and looks like a relic of a simpler time. But no ultra-expensive car collection would be complete without at least one Rolls-Royce, and Drake has that covered with his 2020 Phantom. GQ previously called the 2017 RR Phantom “the most luxurious car on the planet.”

Aside from that, Drake also owns exotic cars like a Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster and a McLaren 675LT. The Lambo and McLaren have an estimated worth of $350,000 each. The McLaren can roar from 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds and double that speed in under eight seconds.

RELATED: John Cena’s Car Collection Is as Muscular as the Pro Wrestling Star

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Tom Hanks’ Airstream Model 34 Is For Sale and It Might Actually Be a Good Deal

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Tom Hanks isn’t just America’s dad; apparently, he also has killer taste in campers (as you might have gleaned from the headline)> However, Now Hanks is selling his 1993 Airstream Model 34 through the Bonhams auction house. Not only is this a beautiful and huge Airstream trailer, but it has also been Hanks’ home-away-from-home for the past 30 years while filming some of his most iconic films. Tom Hanks is smart to sell now during this camper boom.

Tom Hanks’ Airstream | Bonhams

Of course, Tom Hanks has an Airstream Model 34

Tom Hanks bought this home-y aluminum torpedo brand new in 1993. In an Interview with Bonhams Magazine, he talked a bit about why he wanted to snag an Airstream;

“I got it in the days when movies moved slower. I had spent too much time in regular trailers with ugly décor and horribly uncomfortable furniture, so I decided to buy a brand-new Airstream shell with an interior made to my own request.”

Tom Hanks’ movies are all over this camper 

1993 Airstream Model 34 camper
Tom Hanks’ Airstream Model 34 | Bonhams Magazine

According to Silodrome, Tom Hanks lived in this 1993 Airstream Model 34 while filming many of his biggest films. Over the 30 years of ownership, Hanks used this Airstream while filming at least 18 movies, starting with Sleepless in Seattle right after he bought the camper in 1993. 

The Airstream was also used while filming Apollo 13, Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, Catch Me If You Can, Castaway, The Polar Express, Sully, and a slew of other films, ending with The Circle in 2017. 

How does Tom Hanks spec an Airstream?

Tom Hanks sitting in front of his Airstream camper being interviewed by Bonhams Magazine
Tom Hanks’ Airstream Model 34 | Bonhams Magazine

He had asked Airstream to leave it mostly empty, except the kitchen and bathroom. Being a movie star has its perks. Hanks wanted to have the interior built custom to his preferences.

Although Tom Hanks’ Airstream is pretty plainly built, it’s awfully cozy due to its various woods and fabrics. Its features are fairly standard fare as well; it comes with a bedroom in the rear, a bathroom, a kitchenette, a dining table, and a lounge area with a gas heater.

“I didn’t want anything built-in, other than the kitchen and bathroom, so it had only a desk and cupboard in the back, a futon platform on the floor, and room for a small table and chairs. I wanted a regular sofa, too, so I had one made with removable legs so it would get through the door,” Hanks told Bonhams Magazine about his Airstream Model 34. 

What makes this Airstream so cool (other than the fact that Tom Hanks owned it) is that this one is tastefully outfitted, unlike most Airstream campers from the period. The lack of Formica, plastic, and vinyl surfaces elevates the trailer. After all, Hanks’ whole purpose for buying the camper was to have a more comfortable and personal place to hang while filming. 

How much does an Airstream cost? 

Obviously, Airstreams can cover quite the range of prices. There are smaller, more compact camper trailers from Airstream that only run about $30,000. However, the massive Airstream Model 34 can be pretty pricey even if they aren’t owned by Tom Hanks. 

For this year’s model in decent shape, one could expect to pay anywhere from $50,000-$70,000. Considering that this one is owned and customized by Tom Hanks and was his home during the filming of many iconic films, the Bonhams estimated price of $150,000-$200,000 isn’t really all that crazy. In fact, if you squint, you might even call that a good deal. 

RELATED: Airstream Doubles Down on Vintage Vibe While Going All-in on Evs

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The New 2022 Audi RS3 Continues a Trend

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Audi RS name goes back a very long way. So does Audi’s legendary five-cylinder motor, which dates back to the dominant Quattro rally car of the 80s. Now, the spiritual successor to both the RS line and the famed Audi five-pot motor is here: the new 2022 Audi RS3. The new RS3 has a lot to live up to outside of the RS brand itself. The last car was a world-beating sedan at a (relatively) world-beating price, which dominated tracks and drag strips alike.

The new 2022 Audi RS3 has a lot to live up to

1995 Audi RS2 | National Motor Museum via Getty Images

Let’s talk a little bit about that lineage if you’ll allow me to bury the leade here a little. The RS brand has been around for quite some time, making its debut on the Audi RS2 Avant in the early 90s. Much like BMW’s M brand or Mercedes’ AMG division, the RS line is reserved for only the most hardcore Audi models. Additionally, that badge has come to signify a lot of that oh-so-cliched “prestige and heritage” within the German brand.

Back in the 90s, the RS2 was just about all the car you needed, on and off the track. It was a comfortable, fast, practical car that ate M cars for breakfast. And given its size and turbocharged five-cylinder motor, that is exactly what the new RS3 must do. In order to take on the four-door M3 and similar AMG models, the RS3 has to make the like RS2. By that I mean it needs to be a comfortable, fast, practical car that eats M cars for breakfast.

Drift mode isn’t just for the Golf R

The rear of the Kyalami Green Audi RS3
2022 Audi RS3 | Audi

On the street, previous RS3 models have done just that. Now, the new 2022 Audi RS3 needs to do it again. Of late, BMW has lost some of the attributes that make their cars so great, namely in the styling department. They’re still fun and fast, but Audi is looking to capitalize on that weakness. The new RS3 is quite the looker, managing to be aggressive (especially in the above Kyalami Green) without telling everyone what the hell you’re driving around in.

Now, Audi is also looking to add a little fun to the mix. Borrowing from the Volkswagen-adjacent 2022 Golf R, the new RS3 gets a “drift mode”. No, it won’t decouple the car’s front axle, but Audi promise it’ll make the car a little easier to slide. On a closed track of course. And yes, the new 2022 Audi RS3 promises more. More comfort, more convenience, more power, the whole lot. And that’s a good thing, but it also continues a precedent in the industry of late.

New cars always have to promise more

The Kyalami Green accented interior of the new RS3 sedan
2022 Audi RS3 | Audi

Making more power (400 hp) and more torque (368 lb-ft) the new RS3 certainly delivers on “more.” Frankly, in order to sell any cars at all, new cars must always promise more. Unfortunately, that also somewhat dilutes the driving experience, hence the loss of a manual transmission in all Audi models. That dilution makes cars more usable, but a hardcore enthusiast nerd like myself must wonder what we’re losing in exchange. It’s now up to Audi to make that trade-off worth it, and if they do, it’ll surely be the world-beater that the RS2 Avant was back in the day.

RELATED: Audi Wants to Change How You Charge Your EV

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