Elon Musk Vows to Fix 'Dog Mode' in Teslas After Pooch-Cooling System Almost Cost a Man His Pup
Elon Musk is coming to the rescue of dog-owning Tesla drivers everywhere.
On Wednesday, Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood revealed in a tweet that he had left his pooch inside his Tesla while he temporarily stepped out in Seattle when the car’s “Dog Mode” unexpectedly malfunctioned.
Introduced in February, “Dog Mode” is a Tesla feature that regulates the vehicle’s temperature while unattended pets are inside and also informs passersby of their safety through a message on the center touch screen, according to Teslarati.
Luckily, Sood said he kept his eye on the car’s temperature and was able to rescue his pup from the unbearable heat. He then pointed out the problem to Musk, 48, who eventually responded to his tweet and vowed to fix the issue.
“@elonmusk @Tesla warning about dog mode… It’s hot as all hell in Seattle,” Sood, 46, wrote. “Today I used dog mode and luckily I kept the app open, to my horror the car was 85 degrees and climbing!”
@elonmusk @Tesla warning about dog mode...
It's hot as all hell in Seattle. Today I used dog mode and luckily I kept the app open, to my horror the car was 85 degrees and climbing!
Dog mode only works if in auto, if you manually set the fan and leave the AC turns off.— Rahul Sood ?? (@rahulsood) July 31, 2019
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“Dog mode only works if in auto, if you manually set the fan and leave the AC turns off,” he added.
In response to his message, Musk simply wrote, “Fixing …” to which Sood responded back, “You’re the best. Thanks.”
The Unikrn CEO also shared a photo of his adorable pooch Enzo to Twitter and said that the dog was appreciative of Musk and Tesla’s quick response and willingness to make the proper changes.
“Enzo thanks all y’all,” Sood captioned the sweet shot.
You're the best. Thanks.
— Rahul Sood ?? (@rahulsood) August 1, 2019
Enzo thanks all y'all. pic.twitter.com/1AZ30M2RJa
— Rahul Sood ?? (@rahulsood) August 1, 2019
By Friday, Sood revealed that Tesla had fixed the problem and praised the company for addressing it so quickly.
“Make no mistake that no other car company would have (or could have) responded as quickly as Tesla did and fix the problem as fast as they did,” he tweeted. “Tesla is an amazing company, every other car manufacturer should be worried.”
Along with his note, he also shared a photo of the company’s note about their new improvements on “Dog Mode,” which included restricting “any manual climate adjustments except for temperature” inside the vehicle.
This #DogMode story went viral fast. Make no mistake that no other car company would have (or could have) responded as quickly as Tesla did and fix the problem as fast as they did.
Tesla is an amazing company, every other car manufacturer should be worried. pic.twitter.com/RIsW8fgfZH— Rahul Sood ?? (@rahulsood) August 2, 2019
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According to Teslarati, “Dog Mode” was developed as a result of hundreds of dogs suffering from heat strokes while their owners left them in a car to do a “quick errand.”
The system works by keeping Model S, Model X and Model 3 vehicles’ climate control on, even when the car is turned off, and allowing a driver to select a specific temperature that will be maintained while their beloved pet is inside.
In addition to cooling, it also includes a regulated heating system during the colder months of the year.
To make things even more convenient, “Dog Mode” will notify passersby of the pup’s safety by displaying a large message on the center touch screen that reads “My owner will be back soon. Don’t worry! The A/C/heater is on and it’s [temperature].”
Dogs aren’t the only animals that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has shown a passion for recently.
In April, Musk released an auto-tuned rap tribute to the late gorilla Harambe in a short song uploaded to his SoundCloud account. The two-minute track was uploaded to the site under the faux label Emo G Records and shared to Musk’s Twitter.
“I’m disappointed my record label failed. Duck emoji defeats Emo G Records. Crushing victory,” he wrote, while later adding, “This might be my finest work.”
It was unclear if Musk actually rapped on the track, but the Tesla co-founder seemed to allude that the track was a joke when he linked to an article about the rap ahead of April Fool’s Day, tweeting, “Making The Onion articles real.”
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Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo, made headlines in May 2016 when he was shot and killed after a child slipped into his enclosure, though his legacy carried on in the form of endless viral memes.
Musk, meanwhile, has also made headlines in the past year, announcing in October he was stepping down as chairman of Tesla and would pay a $20 million fine to settle charges brought against him by the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to CNN.
The announcement came just days after the SEC said they were suing Musk for misleading investors — an allegation stemming from a controversial tweet he sent out in August declaring he was taking Tesla private at $420 a share.