With rising heat indexes, Tesla’s newest feature comes in handy this holiday weekend.
Record breaking heat waves this holiday weekend are making dog owners even more cautious when traveling with their canine friends in the car.
Everyone should know you can’t keep your dog locked in a car even on a mild sunny day, but a hot summer day would be even worse.
And don’t even think about keeping your car running with the air conditioner on while you run into to a store to quickly grab some item. You may return to the parking lot without a car and man’s best friend waiting for your return.
Your animal might be a service dog that may allow you to take it with you, though you can’t always count on that.
A convenient high tech feature might be game changer for Tesla (TSLA) – Get Tesla Inc. Report electric vehicle owners. When traveling with their pets in tow, there is a chance a Tesla driver may need to stop for a snack break or step out the car to take care of some activity. Worrying about their dog sitting the car while it is hot out is a worry that Tesla owners can put in the back of their minds.
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Tesla’s Offerings Beyond the Pump
Tesla rolled out interior environment control Dog Mode in 2019 as standard feature for Model Y, 3, S and X. Dog mode is a feature that allows drivers to set the temperature of their car without being in the car. The temperature can be controlled without the car running, which differs from other internal combustion vehicles. Turning on the Dog Mode and knowing your pet is safe while running a few errands is great for pet owners, whose pets love to tag along on car rides.
The Dog Mode allows drivers to set a message on the large center screen for anyone passing by to know that the temperature is set and the dog or other pets are not in any danger. Since there won’t be an engine running, it would be difficult to know whether a pet was safe by the inability to hear the engine. Dog mode will also send a message to owners if the power is getting too low to keep running in Dog Mode.
Dog mode is available without Tesla’s Premium Connectivity, which requires a subscription of $9.99 a month or $99.99 annually. Premium Connectivity provides extra service to Tesla owners like the use of features on LTE beyond Wi-Fi and provides live traffic information.
Tesla Takes Dog Mode to Next Level
Tesla expanded on the Dog Mode and introduced Camp Mode that allows drivers to not only maintain the temperature of the EV, but also still have access to the car’s other features, like music, games, and entertainment.
This new feature could come in handy this holiday weekend for travelers. Camp Mode disables the auto-lock feature, so if owners are going to be snoozing, best to manually lock the car. Auto-lock is disabled so owners don’t have to continuously unlock the car while camping.
The power used to operate both the Dog and Camp modes is relatively small compared to its usage to operate the whole EV. The power drain on the battery is roughly 10% for an 8-hour period. The battery does have to have a minimum charge to be able to enable Dog or Camp Mode. The minimum charge needed is 20% and it will send a message to the driver’s smart phone if the battery power gets below 15%, as the car needs enough power to get to the next charge station.
Whether you are traveling a long distance and plan on making a stop to sleep during the drive or are just getting sleepy on your drive and need to make a stop off to rest, Camp mode can help keep drivers comfortable.
While in Camp Mode, the EV will still power USB ports allowing the ability to charge and or use electronics. Allowing drivers to use all the features of the car, with no plans of going anywhere, if they were out camping and the heat was too much to sleep in a camper or tent. Drivers can fold down the back seats and pull up a pillow, travel mattress, blanket and enjoy a movie in complete comfort.
Camp mode will also be convenient for parents sitting in a pick up line for their kids. Drivers can conserve power while still sitting comfortably in a heated or cooled car, with entertainment for younger kids, all while sitting in line for kid pick up.
