Vape-Powered EV Gets 18-Mile Range And Charges Over USB-C

by Aaron Leong — Monday, March 09, 2026, 11:34 AM EDT

A Reva G-Wiz, the infamously cramped and polarizing (meaning: crappiest) micro-electric car from the early 2000s, has been granted an improbable second life through a power source found in 7-Elevens everywhere: vape batteries—500 of them. UK-based engineer and YouTuber Chris Doel was able to eke out a top speed of almost 40 mph with an 18-mile range from this DIY project.

Rather than sourcing pricier automotive-grade lithium cells to replace the ones on the donor car, Doel turned to the environmental problem that is disposable vape batteries. Vapes typically contain high-quality 3.7V lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries that are discarded while still capable of holding a significant charge, which Doel figured would make a great alternative source of electricity for the G-Wiz deathtrap.

To manage the 500 individual cells, Doel built a custom battery management system (BMS) to ensure even charging and prevent any volatility associated with mismatched lithium cells. One of the coolest added touches is a USB-C charging port, which means this might be the world's first EV chargeable via USB-C.

Nonetheless, safety remained a strong focus of the build. Each cell had to be individually tested for internal resistance and voltage sag before being integrated into the array. Doel also installed thermal monitoring to keep an eye on the 500 cells during discharge. While the G-Wiz was never known for its robust safety ratings or luxury, this version operates as a silent, zero-emission commuter powered entirely by what others threw away, which is honestly pretty darn cool.

During initial road testing, G-Wiz 2.0 proved surprisingly capable in urban environments. The near 40-mph top speed keeps it compliant with the original vehicle's European heavy quadricycle classification (which lent to the car's exception from strict passenger car crash safety regulations), and the 18 mile range, while modest, covers the average daily commute in a dense city like London. Hills did prove to be a challenge for the car, pushing the system's max power to its limits; the car made it each time, but it was slow-going.

Ultimately, Doel, who's also a software and electronics engineer at Jaguar-Land Rover, proved a point (beside the fact that the Reva is still possibly one of the worst cars ever made) that a massive volume of disposable vapes are often treated as inert trash, yet there are ways to repurpose them, such as making a 900-pound vehicle commutable.

Photo credits: Chris Doel via YouTube