The latest update to Tesla software is rolling out with some nice holiday goodies and one of them turns the car into the world's most expensive megaphone. Most over-the-air updates are focused on improvements but some can be quite entertaining and while there might be practical value to booming the driver's voice outside the car, this is mostly just for fun.
Most gasoline-powered cars only intentionally make sound with the horn. Of course, since those vehicles are powered by a series of small explosions, the engine itself makes significant noise. Electric motors are incredibly quiet by comparison, something that led the United States and other countries to pass laws that require electric cars to make a noticeable sound when driving at low speeds. The purpose is to alert pedestrians that a vehicle is nearby. While Tesla sends software updates regularly, this one requires a hardware change and not every Tesla has an external speaker.
Tesla is using the exterior sound system in a creative way, allowing microphones inside the vehicle to amplify and send sound through to the outside, turning a Tesla car into a kind of super expensive megaphone. More fun and perhaps even more practical usage would be possible if this worked while driving, but it currently only works when parked. Perhaps this is to prevent possible road rage issues when denied access to Full Self-Driving. Apparently, an effect is applied to make the voice deeper, as demonstrated in a YouTube video by Phones and Drones.
More Tesla Sound & Light Effects
This isn't the first time Tesla has used the external speaker for a bit of fun. The Boombox feature introduced last year plays a small selection of preset sounds or music from a USB flash drive, an improvement over the musical horns of the past and much nicer for fellow passengers than blasting the volume inside the car. Lighting plays a big role during the holidays and Tesla's December update included a surprise with that in mind.
Called Light Show and demonstrated in the video above, the Tesla's headlights and taillights flash and pulse in time to the music, a match for the flashiness of the brand. The music chosen matches the holiday theme, a stirring rendition of Carol of the Bells. Making good use of the required exterior sound system, Tesla had some fun with this year's holiday update by adding light effects and a megaphone to the existing Boombox feature.
Source: Phones and Drones/YouTube