Love or hate them, Tesla has the ability to create more excitement about its cars than any other manufacturer. There's a reason why 'Teslaholics' are more like a cult than a fanbase.
So what is an Easter egg? An Easter egg is a unique feature or hidden software item that is unlocked by taking a specific action, such as holding down a button or making a voice command.
Unknown to many, the Easter egg concept was first coined by the video games maker Atari in the 1970s. It's since been used by other car brands like Mercedes-Benz, Ford (2021 Bronco has a number of them) and Jeep to create buzz and associate them with pop culture. Tesla has also harnessed the power of Easter eggs to build intrigue and enthusiasm for its cars through a suite of games, karaoke (aptly named 'Car-aoke' by Tesla) and other special modes.
We've ranked the top 10 coolest Easter Eggs that Tesla has released since its inception in 2003. Let's get started!
10.
Spaceballs & Ludicrous+ Easter Egg
Remember the 1987 Star Wars spoof Spaceballs? Tesla certainly does! They were so inspired by the movie that they built the Spaceballs & Ludicrous Plus Mode after it. The special feature is available in some Tesla Model S, X and Roadster models. The mode is activated by pressing and holding the Ludicrous Mode button for five seconds, in which the screen goes black. After a short period a star field like animation appears and zooms forward, closing with a momentarily white screen (cool right?!)
09.
Santa Mode Easter Egg
Tesla is renowned for releasing seasonal features in their cars, with many of them launching around the Christmas holidays. Once activated via a voice command, an animated Santa Claus appears on the dash. As you drive the reindeer's legs move according to the speed you're moving. The coolest part is that other surrounding cars also morph into reindeers. To add some special Christmas joy, jingling bells play, albeit loudly, through the car's speakers.
Although unique to Model X, Tesla also launched another Christmas themed Easter egg named 'The ModelXMas Show' which produced a light show using a combination of the vehicles headlights, fog lights and turn signals.
08.
Sentry Mode Easter Egg
Sentry Mode was inspired by the video game, Portal, released by Valve in 2007. The mode can be activated using two voice commands; "keep Tesla safe" and "keep Summer safe." Although not so fun, you can also use the alternative commands, "enable/disable Sentry Mode" or "Turn Sentry Mode on/off." The security feature is available in Tesla Model S, 3, X and Y, and once enabled, it records any threats to the car, especially against break-ins.
07.
Emissions Testing Mode Easter Egg
Building awareness for emissions is important, so Tesla thought of a creative way of doing this by allowing the owners of Model X, S and 3 models to produce flatulent noises - unique yes, but still far cooler than pumping gas! A single sound is not enough for Tesla, so you can scroll through five options including; 'Boring Fart,' 'Ludicrous Fart,' 'Falcon Heavy,' 'Neurastink' and 'Short Shorts Ripper.'
06.
Rainbow Charge Port Light Easter Egg
Charging is an essential part of owning an EV, so to make the activity a little more exciting, Tesla decided to release a hidden feature which unlocks a rainbow light display once activated. While the car is plugged in, push the control charge port control on the handle 10 times quickly. The port will transform from displaying a static light to instead circling through all of the colours of the rainbow. The mode works on Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Y. For the latter two models, only the the 'T' logo will light up.
05.
Mario Kart: Rainbow Road Easter Egg
Who doesn't love Mario Kart? Tesla owners with the Autosteer feature in the Model 3 can activate the Easter Egg which will display a rainbow on the dash road, similar to that of Rainbow Road from the video game Mario Kart. At the same time the song, The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult, plays from the car's sounds system.
04.
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Easter Egg
To activate, simply change the name of your vehicle to '42' in the 'About your Tesla' settings and press 'save.' The Easter egg allows you to change the Tesla name to "Life, The Universe, and Everything" (check the dash) - firstly depicted by Douglas Adam's in his 1978 science fiction comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy. The hidden feature is available on Models S, X, Y and 3.
03.
Back To The Future Easter Egg
Have you noticed the ongoing theme here? Elon Musk and Tesla seem to have a thing for science fiction! This Easter egg was made available through the Tesla app, however unfortunately it's no longer compatible with version 4.0 or newer. In spite of this, it's still a super cool feature so let's continue. To activate the Easter egg the Tesla needs to be at exactly 121 miles. Once the range is achieved, you can simply enable the Back To The Future references (Tesla name changes to "OUTATIME" and range changes to "1.21 GW") by tapping on the app battery icon.
02.
Lotus Esprit Submarine from James Bond Easter Egg
Firstly, some trivia. Elon Musk loved the Lotus Esprit submarine from The Spy Who Loved movie so much that he purchased it in 2013 for a cool $1M. However, he didn't want to stop there, so in devotion for James Bond's submarine they turned it into an Easter egg. To launch the feature you have to long-press the "T" icon on the dash and enter "007" in the text box. Once enabled, the Tesla image is replaced by the Lotus Esprit submarine from the movie. You can go one step further by activating the Easter egg a second time which will transform the submarine's fins into wheels.
01.
Mars Rover Easter Egg
Have you ever wished you could explore the Red Planet? Well now it's possible in your Tesla! To activate simply enter the code 'Mars" on the dash and it will transform your GPS map into an image of Mars's surface. It doesn't end there, your vehicle icon will also turn into a robotic rover, allowing you to quite literally navigate around the planet. This is perfect for those space nerds out there or to keep your kids entertained (please don't let them drive!)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Easter eggs?
No, not the chocolate or decorative type! Easter eggs in this instance are hidden features such as surprises and treats that come in many digital forms, ranging from video games to cars. If interested, you can read more about the history of Easter eggs here.
Why does Tesla release Easter eggs?
Easter eggs aren't unique to Tesla, however it's a great way for the car maker to create intrigue and get more people talking about their features.
How do I see the Tesla Easter eggs menu?
In older Tesla software versions you could easily access them by tapping the Tesla 'T' found at the top of the dash then holding and dragging the screen downwards to reveal the Easter egg menu screen. This menu has recently been deprecated with the feature now available through the Toy Box menu. As stated above, others are also activated via voice commands.
Does every Tesla sold come with Easter eggs?
Yes, Elon Musk confirmed that every Tesla model comes with a box of Easter eggs.
Have all Easter eggs been discovered?
No, Elon Musk eluded that there are many more hidden features in existence. It's also very likely that others will be released in the future.
*Fact Checked. Two editors reviewed the accuracy of this article before it was published*