Tesla releases ‘Dog Mode’ to keep your puppies safe and cool inside their cars

Tesla is releasing its new ‘Dog Mode’ to keep your puppies safe and cool inside their cars after a request from vehicle owners.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell if an electric vehicle is on, which can be worrying if dogs are inside the vehicle and it’s not evident that the AC is running.

Tesla has already made updates to its software to help with child or pet safety with its Cabin Overheat Protection feature released in 2016.

The automaker described the feature in its v8 software at the time:

“In an industry-first safety measure, we’re also introducing Cabin Overheat Protect, focused on child (and pet) safety. This feature keeps the car at a safe temperature for hours, even when the car is off. This feature is only made possible by an electric vehicle with Tesla’s uniquely large battery packs.”

But now Tesla is building on that feature to create a ‘dog mode’ feature at the suggestion of Twitter user last year.

The company says that it is starting to push the update:

Introducing Dog Mode: set a cabin temperature to keep your dog comfortable while letting passersby know they don't need to worry pic.twitter.com/xFU6MGZT53

— Tesla (@Tesla) February 14, 2019

Tesla says that activating dog mode results in “setting a cabin temperature to keep your dog comfortable while letting passersby know they don’t need to worry.”

If some well-meaning passer-by can see a dog in the car and doesn’t realize that the AC is on, it could create a worrying situation.

This scene from the office comes to mind:

Tesla also said that it is going to start pushing its new Sentry Mode to ‘protect against break-ins and theft’ through a software update.

Here are the release notes for the dog mode update:

Keep your dog comfortable in your car while letting people passing by know they don’t need to worry with Dog Mode. In addition to keeping the climate control on, the touchscreen will display the current cabin temperature. To enable Dog Mode, tap the fan icon at the bottom of the touchscreen when your car is parked. Set Keep Climate On to DOG, make adjustments within temperature limits, then leave knowing your pet will stay comfortable. Dog Mode will stay on after you leave your car. If you your battery reaches less than 20% charge, you will receive a notification on your mobile app.

Note: Check local laws for any restrictions on leaving pets unattended in your car.