# Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W auto-backs up electric car camera footage to NAS

> **Key takeaway:** A Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W-based open-source tool automatically extracts and backs up footage from a specific electric car's internal cameras to any NAS, with resume capability and local-only data control.

**Published:** 2026-10-22T23:00:13+00:00 
**Source:** Hackaday Hardware 
**Category:** open-hardware 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/raspberry-pi-zero-2-w-auto-backs-up-electric-car-camera-foot.html 

## Summary
Developer [Sasha] has released an open-source system that plugs a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W into a glovebox USB port to automatically back up camera footage from their electric car to a network-attached storage device. The software supports multiple NAS protocols, tracks sync state, resumes interrupted transfers if the car drives away, and deletes car-internal copies once verified on the NAS. A package for other Raspberry Pi boards is also available, though the project currently targets one specific electric car make.

## How the backup system works
- **Hardware**: Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W connects directly to a USB port in the car's glovebox; other Pi models supported via alternate package
- **NAS connectivity**: Supports multiple protocols for connecting to any NAS
- **Resilience**: Automatically resumes interrupted backups if the car drives away before completion
- **Storage management**: Deletes files from car's internal drives once successfully synced to NAS
- **Data sovereignty**: All data stays on the local network unless user explicitly configures cloud backup
- **Scope limitation**: Designed for one specific electric car; other makes/models require adaptation

## Why it matters
The project demonstrates a practical path for owners of locked-down electric vehicles to reclaim access to their own sensor data using open hardware, and may inspire similar reverse-engineering efforts for other car platforms.