Wisconsin startup Hoffman unveils the Badger, a minibus built from donor Tesla Model 3 and Model Y parts
By Eve
Hoffman, a small Wisconsin startup, debuted the Badger at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. It reuses the seats, dashboard, steering wheel, motors and door handles from a donor Model 3 or Model Y, fitted to a new chassis that raises the high-voltage battery pack by one and a half inches and gives eight inches of ground clearance. The vehicle drove to the show on its own wheels using Superchargers, with sales expected to start next year at prices between the Slate Truck and Tesla Cybertruck, and the startup says it can build around 100 units per year.
Why it matters
A vehicle that keeps Tesla hardware and software can use the Supercharger network, which points to charging demand from niche conversions that sit outside mainstream OEM supply. At around 100 units per year the volumes are small, so fleet and CPO planners should treat it as a watch item rather than a near term demand driver.
Source
- Original title
- “This Startup Wants To Turn Teslas Into Anything, From 11-Seat Minibuses To Pickups”
- Published
- 5 November 2026
In this story
- Topic
- Electric Vehicles
- Place
- United States
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