Easter Egg hunting

Jan 2, 2019

So, this morning my better half noted that I had forgotten to feature the "Romance" element of the Tesla Easter Egg nest.  For the few of you who may not be familiar with the nomenclature that I'm using, here is a brief explanation.

At Tesla, the Easter Egg is any hidden feature or element that can be discovered through search and discovery or simply presented as a gift.  Elon Musk has used the over-the-air software updating to insert and hide certain quirky elements.  The Tesla software engineers seem to enjoy hiding these personal signatures throughout their software efforts.  It's a treasure hunt for many before they are exposed.  For example, click on the Auto Pilot selector stalk 4 times in rapid succession and you will change the normal road image to an animated "rainbow road".

The central display is the perfect place to present features.  Access to the visible quirky features is gained by touching the Tesla logo at the top of the display.  Initially, there is a primary image of car, the VIN, the software update level and mileage is the Easter Egg nest.  Slide down this image and the Easter Eggs are displayed.

The image to the right shows the full set of current (always updating) features in my Model 3.  You can see from the top left:  "More Cow Bells", a Whoopy Cushion, Atari games, Tesla Roadster in outer space, a Reindeer, driving on Mars, and a campfire.  Some of the items function while driving, others are only usable while you are parked.  I'll not force you through the whole group of eggs, but crack a few for your enjoyment.


So let's open the campfire (Romance) item.  Simply touching the icon brings up what is displayed below.  In this case you have a crackling and roaring fire in a fireplace.  Touch the image again and you hear some romantic mood music.  They have actually triggered the heating system to blow warm air out of the vents as well.  What could be more romantic?

If you are parked and bored surfing your phone, you might try a few of the Atari (old-school) games.  Six games are currently available, with minimized or full screen options.












I checked out Millipede but it's been too long since I played this game.

Pole Position sets you up in a car running a race track.  Your steering wheel steers the car and your real brake pedal is the accelerator.  What fun!