Hacker hacked his Tesla and mines cryptocurrency on it

Even Elon Musk himself often positions the Tesla electric car as a “computer on wheels,” so it is not surprising that hackers also look at it from this perspective. One of them, Siraj Rawal, told CNBC in a recent interview that he turned his 2018 Tesla Model 3 into a mining rig. He uses it to mine $400 to $800 worth of bitcoins and ether in a month.

Raval proudly shared a scheme to hack the on-board computer, which by default is not very suitable for such work. I had to disable the security, attach the graphics chips, and change the protocols. Tesla turned out to have a handy electric circuit, thanks to which the cost of mining ranges from $30-60 per month – that is, the idea pays off handsomely.

Now Raval plans to launch a cab service based on upgraded Tesla cars. They will turn into full-fledged robots and mine cryptocurrency in between trips. Experts estimate his plans as “contradictory” – the hacking and mining scheme itself is quite workable, but to operate in such a mode a car priced between $40,000 and $100,000 is not a good idea. Moreover, such interference will void the warranty, and the purchase of a new Tesla for the sake of mining will simply not have time to pay off.