Cafe Electric llc

01/28/2026

Since the Zilla motor controllers are no longer in production, I feel no need for secrets about how they were made. (Maybe I never needed secrets? Business survival is hard) For now I still have test equipment and parts and I offer repairs as best I can.
This won't last forever and also I'd like to share information that may help any DIY repairs. The trick is doing it in such a way that I don't have to spend a lot of my time presenting it.

To that goal of sharing, I realized I have a detailed production binder that employees used to build the Zillas and Hairballs. It assumes working in my old shop with equipment (pictured in a folder) and supplies already set up, so it isn't everything that would be needed to duplicate the ZIlla, but it's a great start.
It also includes schematics that may be helpful for diagnostics.

Curious folks may appreciate it just for the novelty fo seeing what was involved in making them.

You can find it at the bottom of the Cafe Electric support downloads page here: https://cafeelectric.com/Sdownloads.php

[EDIT] It's now a link to a GitHub Repo.

11/23/2024

Zilla production is over.

Despite investigating many options,I have not found a sustainable path forward to justify restarting production.

I continue to provide repair service when possible. This includes most Hairball repairs and some logic level repairs of Zilla power sections. Repair and testing of the high power aspect is no longer possible due to a lack of replacement components and testing equipment.

Zilla controllers have been providing reliable high power for over 20 years, I hope yours continue to bring a smile to you face every time you punch the go pedal!

03/03/2024

The custom Zilla Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) is again set up here at Cafe Electric in Corvallis OR. It has fully tested the first Hairball repair since returning to Corvallis.

Although at this time the prospect of future Zilla production is still uncertain, I am happy to report that support is available.

Unfortunately any major power section rebuilds are not possible unless production restarts.

As always you can find the FAQ and support at https://www.cafeelectric.com/Ssupport.php

01/12/2024

Zilla production has sadly shut down.
What's next?
Good Question.
Is there a business case to continue?
It depends on demand and production costs.

I know of at least one person with enthusiasm and capability to restart production. Meanwhile it's uncertain to me if there is enough market to support continuing with production of high power Zilla DC controllers.

Clearly AC makes sense for many people these days, but maybe there are enough Hot Rods, classic conversions and tinkerers that want the look, ease of setup and high torque per dollar figure of a DC drive?

I made the first of this style of Zillas in 2003. 20 years is a good run. They have earned an excellent reputation for reliability and high power. Is that enough?

Recent years the Zilla sales have been light, but with delivery times exceeding one year that's not surprising. Would they sell if they were on the shelf?

I'd love to hear what others think.
https://cafeelectric.com

01/21/2021

TBT to 1994, finding ourselves on the front page of the New York Times.
12 seconds to swap 800 lbs of battery designed and built by Bob Schneeveis.
The annual Phoenix 500 races were fun. They inspired much EV progress and collaboration.

Digitized text here:
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/21/us/electric-cars-race-silently-into-the-future.html

11/28/2020

Throwback to the mid 1990s and what we were doing with EVs back then.

Something rescued from my archive.

08/05/2020

Secret Revealed!
Our Deep Tesla Resto-Mod of the Rolls Royce formerly owned by Johnny Cash is now public.

Click here for an excellent article and videos:
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/johnny-cash-rolls-royce-electric-conversion/

It's been a pleasure to work on this with Kirk, Arthur, Debbie, Phil and many others. Thanks for the adventure.

Thanks also to friends for keeping it a secret for so long. The owner wishes to remain anonymous, so if you are one of the few who know that info, please keep that private.

06/09/2020

New blog post about tapping the 12V connection on a Tesla Model 3 for an AC inverter.

Not ideal, but it works with some babysitting. For more AC power than a standard 12V Power Socket inverter could provide, I tapped into the high current DC-DC output from the Tesla PCS (Power Conve…

12/28/2019

Too many platforms!
Escaping Facebook manipulations.
TesFalia updates are moving to its own Twitter feed
https://twitter.com/TesFalia

See you there!

10/28/2019

‪Will it fit?‬
‪A favorite part of my projects involves the donor, target and a tape measure.‬
‪The Model 3 battery penthouse needs relocation of frame members, but mostly it looks good. ‬
‪412 HP!‬

08/26/2019

‪When working on batteries I like them on a trailer with a clear path out the door, just in case...‬