Portland-based digital creator @builtintherain was riding along in his diesel Beetle, minding his own business. But then, a Tesla driver decided to tailgate him — so he elected to smoke him out.

“Bro has been right on my [expletive],” said @builtintherain in the Facebook video, from his Volkswagen Beetle 1.9L TDI. So, in protest, he rolled coal onto the Tesla to teach the driver a lesson.

“Think he got the message,” he said, after his diabolical laugh.

He Did What Now?

Per Wikipedia, rolling coal “is the practice of modifying a diesel engine to deliberately emit large amounts of black or gray diesel exhaust, containing soot and incompletely combusted fuel. Rolling coal is used as a form of anti-environmentalism protest.”

In this case, the driver rolls coal on an EV. It does not seem to be in protest of the car’s apparent “environmentally-friendly” qualities. Instead, it’s just because the driver is being a jerk.

Commenters under the video were quick to suggest other ways to get back at the Tesla driver.

“Next time brake check them, it’s funny to watch the Tesla’s automatic [brake] system kick in,” said one person.

Another person concurred, “You can brake check him and the Tesla auto stop system will brake real hard almost slamming the [driver] to the steering wheel! Saw that a few times lol.”

Tesla’s Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system uses camera-based technology to detect objects like cars, pedestrians, and cyclists and automatically apply the brakes to reduce collision severity.

However, some Teslas, particularly the 2021–2023 Model 3 and Y, have had “phantom braking” issues where the Autopilot/traffic-aware cruise control abruptly slows the car on highways—often with no obstacle in sight. This is linked to the vision-only system misinterpreting shadows or environmental factors, thereby posing a rear-end collision risk. That said, it does not appear that rolling coal is enough to activate this system.

On-the-Road Revenge

Apart from brake-checking, other commenters offered more nefarious methods of revenge.

“I have high beams mounted on my rear bumper for this same reason, I call them my Batman blinders,” a commenter wrote. “They work.”

Others had wet works in mind: “And if you don’t have a diesel…. Just use your windshield [wipers.] Your water goes on their windshield 100% of the time. It’s hilarious.”

Some were into some cartoon-like or Dukes of Hazzard-style hijinks. “Fill your rear sprayer with oil and point it backwards,” they wrote. “Once it gets on their windows it smears and you can’t see.”

So What’s Up With the Beetle?

Looking at @builtintherain’s socials, cars are his thing. He’s got a sweet Nissan GT-R, but it looks like he bought a Volkswagen Beetle 1.9L TDI five-speed manual as a daily driver. These legendary diesels, if you can find one in which the fluids have been regularly replaced, are virtually bulletproof when properly maintained.

These models were produced between 1999 and 2010 and are well known for exceptional fuel efficiency (often 50+ mpg), tremendous durability, and high tuning potential. Well-maintained Beetles easily surpass 300,000 or even 500,000 miles, even if they are driven a little harder than you’d want.

It’s not without its issues. The dual-mass flywheel is prone to failure, leading to rattling and clunky shifting. Timing belts are an issue, and they need to be tended to with strict adherence in regard to replacement intervals to avoid catastrophic engine failure. It can have a leaking vacuum line, which can lead to low power.

Lastly, the VGT (Variable Geometry Turbo) units can stick, and oil starvation can lead to failure. But these are all manageable, even now in Beetles with over 100,000 miles, as long as they are tended to regularly.

MotorBiscuit reached out to @builtintherain via Facebook comment and message, and to Volkswagen via email.