Tesla latest software upgrade enables drivers to convert their vehicles into megaphones.
Utilizing the external speakers on later versions
Saturday, December 25, 2021 | Chimniii Desk
Tesla has added a new function to its annual holiday software update that allows drivers to convert their cars into megaphones.
Electrek discovered the update, which is only available on newer Tesla cars (2019 or later). This is because the feature makes use of external speakers installed in current Tesla vehicles to comply with US regulatory requirements. According to these requirements, otherwise silent electric vehicles must be able to notify pedestrians to their presence at moderate speeds.
A video demonstration of the feature (below) shows these external speakers echoing everything the driver says with a tiny delay and a bass-heavy echo. It is unknown whether or not this distortion can be altered or erased.
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This is not the first inventive application of Tesla's external speakers. Boombox mode, which was added in last year's holiday update, allows owners to modify the default horn sound with any creative audio clip, while Sentry Mode, which allows owners to stream live footage from the cars' external cameras, adds a remote audio function.
Along with adding new features to its cars, Tesla recently announced that it would be discontinuing a feature that allowed drivers to play video games while driving. A megaphone, on the other hand, is probably less distracting than Super Breakout.
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