Joe Rogan got himself a new Tesla Model S Plaid customized by Unplugged Performance, and I think it looks sick.

Dope or nope?

Rogan was not always a fan of electric vehicles. In fact, at one point, he was one of the biggest EV misinformation spreaders.

It wasn’t intentional. Like many, he got caught in the decades of misinformation pushed by the fossil fuel industry and some automakers trying not to make them.

He eventually got onboard after Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, convinced him to get a Model S Plaid during an interview.

The famous comedian and podcaster was impressed by the acceleration of electric vehicles, or more specifically, the Model S Plaid’s acceleration and the overall technology inside Tesla’s vehicles.

For the last year or so, he has been talking about getting a new Model S Plaid and having it modified by Tesla tuner Unplugged Performance (UP). The company has now announced that it has delivered the vehicle to Rogan:

This one-of-one build blends the best of Unplugged Performance’s engineering expertise with Joe’s vision for a perfect blend of class and aggression that can be driven daily. The result is a car that’s as striking in appearance as it is in craftsmanship and performance.

Here’s a gallery of Rogan’s new Model S Plaid:

The main modification is a widebody, which involves a “19-piece prepreg carbon fiber widebody kit that increases the width of the vehicle by 80mm.”

It is also equipped with UP-03 forged monoblock wheels and carbon fiber rocker panels with an integrated Koenigsegg Advanced Manufacturing aerodynamic shark fin at the front wheels.

Here’s Rogan checking out his new car for the first time with UP founder Ben Schaffer:

The vehicle also features UP’s upgraded suspension and brakes.

Dope or nope?

Electrek’s Take

I think it looks pretty dope. I hope it gets Joe to become better informed about electric vehicles because even since he has owned a Tesla, he has kept spreading misinformation about electric vehicles.

I like Joe, but I think he can sometimes be quite careless about the impact of his platform, and I certainly wouldn’t take anything he says too seriously unless it has to do with subjects he is an expert in, which are comedy and martial arts.

As a fan of both, I think he is genuinely knowledgeable on those and worth listening to.

However, recently, I heard him say on his podcast that electric vehicles are worse than gas-powered vehicles for air population because they are heavier and, therefore, produce more brake pad particles.

I couldn’t believe him saying that as a Tesla driver himself. Then he somehow remembered about regenerative braking greatly reducing the use of brake pads in EVs compared to fossil fuel vehicles. I thought he was redeeming himself, but no. He then added that he thought only Tesla vehicles had regenerative braking.

He could really use an EV expert to dispel much of the misinformation he has spread about EVs on his podcast.

‘Just another form of payment’

Tesla has officially launched the new Model Y in North America and Europe after launching it in China earlier this month.

The difference is that Tesla is now taking orders for both the older and newer versions of its best-selling electric SUV.

That’s a unique launch for Tesla. I don’t remember the automaker doing that before.

After launching the new Model Y design refresh in China two weeks ago, Tesla is now starting to take orders for the refresh in North America and Europe.

But it looks like the design refresh is still a transitional in Tesla’s production as the automaker is still taking orders for the previous version:

For the launch in North America and Europe, Tesla has only added a new “trim” on the Model Y online configurator for a ‘Launch Series New Model Y’, which is the version unveiled in China earlier this month.

But in China, only this new version has been available for sale since the last two weeks.

Tesla estimates that the new version will have 320 miles of EPA range. Compared to 311 miles for the previous Model Y Long Range AWD, the only version of the new Model Y Launch Series available.

Here are all the other changes with the new Model Y compared to the previous version:

For the Launch Series, Tesla is pricing the new Model Y Long Range AWD at $59,999 USD. That’s $12,000 more than the previous Model Y Long Range AWD, which is still available to order.

Specifically for the Launch Series, buyers get a bunch of special badging around the car:

But they also get things called “Premium Textil Trim” and “Vegan Suede for Black Interior”:

Currently, Tesla is only offering the new Model Y in Stealth Grey, Pearl White Multi-Coat, Ultra Red, and Quicksilver, but they are all included in the Launch Series price.

The Glacier Blue that is offered in China is currently not offered in North America or Europe.

Tesla is talking about the first deliveries of this new version of the Model Y coming in March in North America.

Electrek’s Take

This came sooner than expected, as most expected the launch to be closer to March based on how Tesla launched the Model 3 refresh last year.

But this is also different since Tesla continues to take orders for the previous version.

Tesla was likely worried about the Osborne effect and this strategy of starting with this more expensive version of the Model Y, the Launch Series, is going to help sales of the much cheaper previous version.