Tesla’s new vacation update will finally give people the ability to use a new Boombox mode, which can stream personalized audio from outside the car (hence the name). As is common with Tesla’s new features, the Boombox combines real utility with lowbrow humor: owners can use fart and goat sounds instead of the normal, boring sounds of car horns.
The mode was released with a number of other updates as part of the Tesla firmware update 2020.48.26, and is something that Tesla fans eagerly anticipated. In the new mode, which can be seen in the timestamp section in the video below, several sounds are available to Tesla owners through the Toybox section that they can use in place of a normal horn: goat baaing, applause, a small clip of “tada”, someone talking chic and, of course, the fart.
Although Tesla owners have been able to create fart sounds in the car for some time, Boombox mode allows people with newer models to use the built-in speaker that sends audio to poor and unsuspecting people outside the car. Tesla cars manufactured after September 1, 2019 have a built-in speaker. The speakers were added because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “required quiet electric cars to omit some noise to alert pedestrians,” according to Teslarati. Here is a description of what the Boombox mode does, thanks to Teslarati:
Turn your car into a boombox and entertain a crowd with your media player when parked. You can also customize the sound your car makes when you press the horn, drive or when your car is in motion with Summon. Select an option from the drop-down menu or insert your own USB device and save up to five custom sounds.
Farting is not just reserved for honking. An update to Tesla’s “Emission Test Mode”, which is a code for fart sequencing, means that cars can now fart whenever they want and outsiders won’t be able to escape the sounds. Teslarati adds:
Emissions Test Mode can be used outside the car. To configure, select the desired sound and place the pad on the external speaker. When you’re ready, play the selected sound by pressing the scroll wheel button to the left or using the turn signal. To access, touch Application launcher> Toy box> Emission test mode.
In addition to farting, people can also use Tesla’s Boombox feature to harass neighbors in other ways. For example, a Tesla can now make the same sound as an ice cream truck, based on the video above. So, if someone really wants to play a cruel trick on children this summer, just drive around the neighborhood playing a cheerful song that makes children think of ice cream cones and popsicles.
Being able to load five tracks also means that people can drive their Tesla vehicles around town with whatever audio they want, apparently. When a person asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk if they could drive their car to Ludacris’ classic 2000s hit, “Move Bitch”, Musk pointed to the custom upload option.
There are many other additions that came with this year’s holiday update. Car owners have access to three new games – The Battle of Polytopia, Cat Quest, and Lonely – they can play while they are parked. Improvements to the Supercharge screen and scheduled startup are also included in the firmware update. A complete list of updates can be read on Reddit.
Maybe it’s the Christmas spirit in me, but letting your car fart properly is beautiful. It is as if something torn from Shrek – Better outside than inside!