Electric Cars

Queensland coal miner’s reaction to Tesla torque is priceless

Published by
Bridie Schmidt

Extinction Rebellion activist Daniel Bleakley has been putting some mates and coal-miners living in his Central Queensland home town in the driver’s seat of his Tesla Model 3 electric car.

The reactions are absolutely priceless.

In two videos shared via Twitter, Bleakley has, it would seem, won over drivers in the coal-mining of Clermont (and which is the closest town to the proposed Adani coal mine), simply by insisting they put their feet hard down on the accelerator.

“My brother drives a haul truck at a coal mine near our home town in Central Queensland,” wrote Bleakely in a Twitter post on Wednesday, which has now been viewed more than 100,000 times.

“He took the @tesla out to show some of his workmates. Unlike @mattjcan these boys have real coal dust on their faces.

“The reactions are priceless,” he said. “EVs winning hearts & minds in CQ!”

We have to warn you there’s a bit of language in both videos, but the message is clear:

“Did that convert you?” the driver is asked.

“Yeah!” is the answer.

Bleakely then posted a second video on Thursday after putting is “old school larrikin” mate Dan behind the wheel.

“My old school mate & “old school” Larrikan Dan taking the @tesla for a joyride outside my home town Clermont in Central Queensland,” Bleakley.

“Dan’s family owns a farm in region. Clermont is also the closest town to the proposed Adani Coal mine.”

Dan, it would seem, is equally impressed.

“You know the best, part,” he says. “You go hooning…. and the neighbours aren’t going to call the cops because of all the f@$king noise.”

While we’re not suggesting every miner and his dog drive recklessly around town in EVs, we have to agree with the sentiment!

Recent Posts

How Amber & BYD are powering the future: Interview with Chris Thompson

At the All Energy Conference in Melbourne, Amber CEO Chris Thompson discusses the launch of…

31 October 2025

What if an EV was made without metals or minerals?

Mine engineering group unveils what it cheekily describes as the world’s first electric car made…

31 October 2025

Australasian firms complete world-first liquid-hydrogen refuelling for zero-emission flight

A trio of companies from New Zealand and Australia hail major milestone as they fill…

31 October 2025

Site secured for Australia’s biggest heavy electric trucking charging depot

A site has been secured for Australia's biggest heavy electric truck depot as a Windrose…

31 October 2025

BYD agrees warranty for battery-on-wheels trial, as 4,000 join queue for Amber V2G offer

BYD agrees to battery warranty for V2G trials, removing a major stumbling block for the…

30 October 2025

Honda to launch its City EV in Australia in 2026, with noises to mimic gear changes

Honda to finally bring an EV to Australia, in the form of a small city…

30 October 2025