When searching for a car, most teenage drivers operate on a limited budget--one often imposed by their parents or the limits of their own savings.
But 16-year-old Haydn Sonnad was eyeing something beyond such restrictive financial limits.
The Los Angeles resident wanted a Tesla Model S, and his father even agreed to loan him the money for one.
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That is, his father said, as long as he helped contribute to the monthly payments. So Haydn came up with a plan.
He started Tesloop, a ride service intended to help the Model S pay for itself, as Motor Trend tells it.
Tesloop shuttles customers from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, at a cost of $85 each way.
![Tesla Model S P85D, 2015 Detroit Auto Show Tesla Model S P85D, 2015 Detroit Auto Show](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/tesla-model-s-p85d-2015-detroit-auto-show_100497381_l.jpg)
Tesla Model S P85D, 2015 Detroit Auto Show
Since Sonnad is too young to be a legally-paid driver, though, the service he started uses hired drivers.
Once customers book a ride, they meet their car at a designated Supercharger DC fast-charging station in the Los Angeles area.
Tesloop accepts up to four passengers per ride, filling all available passenger space in a five-seat Model S.
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The trip to Las Vegas takes about four hours, including a stop to recharge at the Supercharger station in Barstow, California.
Free onboard Wi-Fi is included, although phone calls are limited to three minutes as a courtesy to other passengers.
In addition to Las Vegas, Tesloop reportedly plans to expand to other cities within driving distance of Los Angeles, including Palm Springs and San Francisco.
![Tesla Model S P85D, 2015 Detroit Auto Show Tesla Model S P85D, 2015 Detroit Auto Show](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/tesla-model-s-p85d-2015-detroit-auto-show_100497371_l.jpg)
Tesla Model S P85D, 2015 Detroit Auto Show
This isn't the first time a Model S has been pressed into service as a commercial passenger hauler.
Several taxi companies have added Model S sedans to their fleets, cutting emissions and trading on the car's popularity.
While Tesla Motors has asked its owners to use its Supercharger sites only for long-distance trips--not as regular recharging for local travel--the Tesloop service would seem to fit within that mandate.
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Some Model S owners also drive for Uber, meaning it's possible to grab a ride in one if you use that ride-sharing service.
But this is likely the first time someone has attempted to build a standalone service around their own car.
And of course, the idea of a teenage ride-sharing entrepreneur--and Model S owner--is rather unusual as well.
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