Tesla owners love their cars! This American electric car manufacturer repeatedly ranks #1 for customer satisfaction. According to Consumer Reports, Tesla customers are more satisfied than any other auto brand consumer. Tesla touts the longest EV range in its class, getting almost 350 miles off one charge. It has developed a reputation for providing excellent mobile service with a vast Supercharger network.

Customers also appreciate the award-winning safety features but that’s not what has the internet abuzz. It’s the Easter egg features that Elon Musk, Co-Founder & CEO of Tesla Motors, installed in the software of the vehicles.

What is a Tesla Easter egg?

Easter eggs are common in movies, video games, and even theme park attractions. Developers have made a game out of hiding secret messages, characters, and images. Musk wanted to get in on the idea so he created an Easter egg hunt, of sorts, for his loyal customers. Some of the designed features are silly, some are useful, and some are downright WEIRD.

Romance Mode

The romance mode is a throwback to the days of having a hot date night in the backseat of your car. With this Tesla Easter egg, the action heats up in the front seat this time.

To activate romance mode, tap the Tesla “T” at the top of the in-dash monitor. Click on the fireplace option located in the Easter egg basket. The center LCD screen is now a romantic, crackling virtual fireplace. The heated seats activate and hot air begins to blow through the vents.

As if that wasn’t enough, Marvin Gaye starts to sing his most romantic love songs. Now, that is one weird date that is sure to get anyone into that loving feeling.

James Bond Submarine

Musk fell in love with the Lotus Esprit turbo submarine used in the James Bond 007 classic film, The Spy Who Loved Me. He loved it so much that he actually purchased the prop car at auction in 2013 for close to $1 million.

In true Musk fashion, he took this obsession and turned it into a hidden Tesla Easter egg. To turn your vehicle into the 007 submarine, tap on the “T” at the top of the control panel and enter 007 as the access code. An image of the submarine appears and the suspension option is changed to a depth of 0 to 20,000 leagues. Under the sea, of course. Weird or cool? You decide.

Psychedelic Cowbell Road

This Tesla Easter egg tops our list for straight out weird. Musk refers to it as the “Psychedelic Cowbell Road”. To activate, press the autopilot button four times and the road on the console monitor will transform into a colorful path.

Similar to Nintendo’s Mario Kart, the on-screen simulated vehicle can cruise the rainbow. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Musk included music from a Saturday Night Live sketch that featured Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken making fun of a Blue Oyster Cult song, “Don’t Fear the Reaper”. Ferrell’s enthusiastic cowbell ringing must have caught Musk’s attention.

Emissions testing toilet humor mode

“Let her rip” takes on a whole new meaning in this flatulence fueled feature. Tap the whoopee cushion icon in the Easter egg tray to activate. That’s right – we said whoopee cushion.

Using the turn signal or left scroll button on the steering wheel, you can select the seat where the sound will come from. Choose from a variety of fart sounds that include: Not a Fart, Short Shorts Ripper, Falcon Heavy, Ludicrous Fart, Neurastink, and Boring Fart. Our favorite is the fart randomizer, aptly named “I’m so random”. 

Back to the Future

This is one of the newer Tesla Easter eggs, released in February of 2019. When the charge reaches a range of 121 miles, click the battery icon on the Tesla app. This will launch a weird Back to the Future mode with tons of references to the movie classic. First, a message will appear that reads:

Time Circuits On – Ensure plutonium fuel is inserted into reactor chamber and press ‘Yes’ to continue

Click ‘Yes” and the on-screen vehicle will switch to the Model X. The doors then raise to reveal the following:

• 121 miles changes to 1.21 GW (gigawatts) with a radioactive symbol. Great Scott! The DeLorean is now ready to go back in time since it has reached the gigawatt level needed to create a nuclear reaction (1,620,000 hp).
• The vehicle name is changed to “OUTATIME” – this was on the DeLorean’s license plate.
• Vehicle type changes to P88D – 88mph is needed to unlock the capabilities of time travel.
• The charging icon converts to a fuel chamber with a current output of 300R.
• Version reads 1985, which is when the blockbuster movie came out.
• The location is 1600 S. Asuza Ave. Rowland Heights, CA – the address of the current Puente Hills Mall, known in the movie as Twin Pines Mall. It is the location of the parking lot used in both “Back to the Future I and II”.
• Schedule Service: Upcoming appointment Nov 5, 1955, 6:00 am – this is the day Doc Brown discovered the flux capacitor. It is exactly 30 years prior to the release of the movie.

These Easter eggs obviously are not the sole reason to purchase a new Tesla electric vehicle, but it sure does make ownership fun!