Tesla Easter Eggs: What Are They & How To Find Them
Source: Pixabay
Beyond leading the automotive industry to an electrified future, Tesla is known for its innovative approach to sales and marketing. This sometimes playful spirit helps set this EV maker apart from the competition. The company shows off this sense of humor through Tesla Easter eggs, which appear in quirky ways across its vehicle lineup.
These hidden messages embrace pop culture or highlight something unique about a Tesla. New Easter eggs are known to appear after a software update, so surprises can occur even after cars are in owners’ hands.
The bulk of Tesla Easter eggs are software-based, so they usually appear on the central touchscreen. However, a few of these help some Tesla models come alive with light shows. With this in mind, we’ve turned to YouTube and compiled a list of the most notable Tesla Easter eggs. Click on the video links, and you can see things in action. Not every Easter egg is included with every Tesla vehicle.
Tesla Easter Egg #1: James Bond’s Submarine Car
Tesla CEO Elon Musk purchased the submersible Lotus Esprit movie car from The Spy Who Loved Me a decade ago, just as the Model S was making inroads. Seeking to inject a little Bond magic into the company’s flagship offering, Tesla swapped out an image of the standard car in the suspension menu for the underwater version of the Lotus.
The feature is only accessible after entering a secret code (which happens to be “007”) and is limited to the Model S and Model X with air suspension.
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Tesla Easter Egg #2: Rainbow Charging Lights
Not every Tesla Easter egg is restricted to the infotainment screen. One example gives owners a brief light show while charging. Just rapidly press the charging handle button ten times while in use, and the charging port ring (Model S and Model X) or illuminated Tesla logo (Model 3 and Model Y) will cycle through numerous colors for a few seconds.
Tesla Easter Egg #3: Santa Mode
Christmas isn’t limited to December if you have a Tesla and activate Santa Mode. Accessible through the Apps menu, Santa Mode, when activated, show an animation of Santa driving a reindeer-led Tesla.
Alternatively, use the voice command “Ho Ho Ho,” and Chuck Berry’s Run Rudolph Run will play. However, mention, “Ho Ho Ho Not Funny” and Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer will come through the speakers instead.
Lastly, when Santa Mode is in use, the standard turn signal sound is swapped for sleigh bells.
Tesla Easter Egg #4: Rick and Morty Sentry Mode
The animated series Rick and Morty may not be to everyone’s tastes, but Tesla uses the show for a whimsical touch to a more serious matter. Sentry Mode, which engages the external cameras and a display screen indicator, is activated through a basic voice command. However, say “Keep Tesla Safe” or “Keep Summer Safe,” and Sentry Mode comes on. For the uninitiated, Summer is Morty’s sister.
The Sentry Mode has its own Easter egg. When active, this feature initially displayed the iconic HAL 9000 image from 2001: A Space Odyssey on the Tesla central display. Following a software update, a watchful eye animation now indicates the exterior is being monitored.
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Tesla Easter Egg #5: Spaceballs’ Ludicrous Mode
Musk’s appreciation for cultish humor includes the 1987 sci-fi spoof film Spaceballs. The Mel Brooks’ movie featured a spaceship that only traveled at one speed, “ludicrous.” Tesla adapted this laughable name for the high-performance capability of the Model S and Model X and then created a screen-based Easter egg that recreates the hyper-speed effect from the film.
Tesla Easter Egg #6: Monty Python’s Foot of Cupid
Tesla Easter eggs and off-beat humor continue with a tribute to Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the British sketch comedy series. One of the show’s visual gags featured the Foot of Cupid dropping down onto the screen, which Tesla has recreated for its vehicles, along with the requisite sound (listen to the YouTube video, and you’ll know what we mean).
Engaging this trick requires renaming your Tesla to one of the show’s characters, like Patsy or Mr. Creosote.
Tesla Easter Egg #7: Mario Kart and SNL Mash-Up
Why focus on just one cultural icon when you can combine two? That’s the idea behind Mario Kart mode. Press the autopilot control stalk several times, and the on-screen Tesla car image appears on a Mario Kart-style rainbow road. Press the control again, and Blue Oyster Cult’s (Don’t Fear) The Reaper is heard. However, this is the Saturday Night Live version enhanced with “more cowbells” and dialogue from Christopher Walken.
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Tesla Easter Egg #8: Back to the Future Mode
You don’t need a DeLorean to relive the Back to the Future movie series with this Easter egg. It can only be activated with 121 miles (or kilometers) of range available. Press the battery icon, and the car’s name changes to “OUTATIME,” while the “Charging” tab becomes “Fuel Chamber.” There are several other transformations, including a service appointment set for November 5, 1955, the date that Marty McFly first travels back in time.
Tesla Easter Egg #9: Tesla Team Photo
Not every Tesla Easter egg is devoted to a movie or TV show. Instead, owners can activate this hidden message to see a picture of the Tesla development team and comments about their work. Another action replaces the photo with a silhouette image of a Tesla Model 3.
Sadly, the credits page for this Model 3-only got replaced at some point with more mundane information.
Tesla Easter Egg #10: Model X Light Show
Tesla shows off the Model X’s exclusive falcon-wing doors in this distinctive Easter egg. When engaged, the car’s swing-up doors will open and close in sync with a Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Wizards in Winter soundtrack. It all happens while the exterior lights flash in sequence with the action.
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