If you've ever played one of those nighttime basketball games lit by a row of car headlights, you'd know that batteries don't last forever. But Elon Musk has an idea that might keep the party going longer than the keg will.
On Twitter today, Elon Musk promised that Tesla will add a "party and camper mode" to the Model 3, Model S and Model X. Per his tweet, the goal is to create a mode that lets you play music, power devices and keep the temperature pleasant for upwards of 48 hours. Two days straight? That's a lot of uppers, Elon. Better slow your roll.
Were adding a “party & camper mode” soon to S/3/X, so your car can maintain air flow, temp, selective lights, music & power devices for 48 hours or more while parked. Big batteries rock …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2018
As Musk notes, it's possible because many of Tesla's EV batteries permit 300-plus miles of use. But if you're not going far, you may as well put that juice to use without wasting a bunch of it on ancillary systems you won't be using. Hopefully, the mode allows for adjustments in case you don't really need the lights or the HVAC.
I hate to break it to Herr Musk, but Toyota already beat Tesla to the party-mode punch. For the last nine years, Toyota has equipped its 4Runner SUVs with a "Party Mode" button. It's a little different, though, in that it cranks the audio system's bass and shifts the balance rearward so you can jam out while tailgating or camping.
For those of you still living in Gas-Powered-Car Land, think of this new mode as an extended variant of every car's "accessory" mode, which allows for limited use of certain features without turning on the engine or powering the entire electrical system.
