Sometimes you may feel guilty about leaving your dog in the car as you run errands. So automaker Tesla Motors is working on a feature that will make your dog more comfortable while waiting in the car.
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said that a “dog mode” is going to be implemented in a software update so that people who notice your dog in the car will not panic, according to Electrek. For example, the display would show a message and the cabin temperature.
Leaving the air conditioner running for extended periods of time could cause the gas tank to empty on traditional gas-powered vehicles. But the large battery packs built into Tesla vehicles allows for air conditioning to run for extended periods of time without having to keep the vehicle on. Musk received the suggestion for the “dog mode” from Model 3 owner Josh Atchley on Twitter:
Just released lower cost, mid-range Tesla Model 3 & super simple new order page https://t.co/cz0TQn7IOZ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 18, 2018
And the cabin temperature suggestion came from Model 3 owner Justin Horn:
Exactly
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 20, 2018
In 2016, Tesla released a software update with a feature called Cabin Overheat Protection — which enables some of the functionality that would be necessary for the “dog mode.” Here is a description of the Cabin Overheat Protection that was included in the software update:
“In an industry-first safety measure, we’re also introducing Cabin Overheat Protect, focused on child (and pet) safety. This feature keeps the car at a safe temperature for hours, even when the car is off. This feature is only made possible by an electric vehicle with Tesla’s uniquely large battery packs.”
It is unknown when the “dog mode” feature would be released.
What we do know is that Tesla is planning to add a “fade mode” in a v9 software minor point update. Fade mode shows just essential information on the screen such as your speed.
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