Dog lovers repeatedly hit car windows in the summer to save overheating four-legged friends. Tesla wants to prevent overzealous helpers now as possible.
SP-X / Palo Alto. Those who leave their dog alone in the car on a hot summer's day risk animal suffering and battered windows. Tesla wants to prevent both now with a software update on his models. The "dog mode" setting, which is now available via remote maintenance, keeps the interior temperature at tolerable levels even when the sun is shining in parked vehicles. At the same time, a message for possibly worried passers-by is displayed on the large on-board computer screen in the center console. They should recognize there the current interior temperature and a note from the owner, that he will come back soon. The e-car manufacturer wants to prevent anyone from coming to the aid of the seemingly overheated animal by shattering the disc. Especially in electric cars there is a risk of premature interventions, because from the outside is not visible, whether the air conditioner is on. In conventional vehicles, this can be recognized by the running engine - in the USA a not uncommon form of air conditioning for parked cars.