Teslas don’t make any sound when they blast from zero to 60 in less than seconds. That’s because they’re electric. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk is changing all that.
“Customized horn & movement sounds (coconuts being one, of course) coming to Teslas soon,” Musk wrote Sunday on Twitter.
Customized horn & movement sounds (coconuts being one, of course) coming to Teslas soon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2019
The coconut sound appears to reference Monty Python and the Holy Grail, reportedly one of Musk’s favorite movies. In the film, King Arthur and other characters wander the British hills with a squire behind banging coconuts to mimic the sound of a horse galloping.
Then Musk added another tweet, suggesting that Tesla owners will be able to make their cars sound like they are passing gas or bleating like a goat.
💨 & 🐐 sounds too (also, of course)
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2019
Electric cars have been adding sounds because pedestrians can’t hear them approaching. There are new federal regulations coming next September that will mandate electric cars emit an external sound at speeds less than 20 mph to warn pedestrians. Tesla recently added the external sound feature to its Model 3, making it emit a “pink” noise in drive and a humming noise in reverse that makes it sound like a UFO in a 1950s sci-fi movie.
And Musk says he’s just getting started.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg https://t.co/cgRKiDsdbK
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2019
Teslas already have a “whoopee cushion” feature that can make fart sounds when the driver uses the turn signal or presses a button. Musk also inserted another Easter Egg into the software, one that says “more cowbell,” a line from a a classic Saturday Night Live sketch.
“In the spirit of fun and good-natured toilet humor, Tesla allows drivers to select which type of fart could be activated on the vehicle,” Teslarati.com reported in December 2018. “Among the choices are the ‘Not a Fart,’ a reference to Musk’s Not-a-Flamethrower, the ‘Short Shorts Ripper,’ an evident gesture to TSLA short-sellers who consistently attempt to discredit the company, the ‘Falcon Heavy,’ a nod to SpaceX’s largest operational rocket to date, the ‘Ludicrous Fart,’ a reference to the Model S P100D and Model X P100D’s Ludicrous Mode, the ‘Boring Fart,’ a direct nod to The Boring Company, and ‘I’m so random,’ which likely involves a randomized activation of the vehicle’s different fart sounds.”
Teslas also have a “Romance Mode” that “transforms the entire center display of a vehicle into a fireplace, complete with the sounds of a crackling fire. In a follow-up post, John McAfee noted that the Easter Egg also blasts heat from the front vents, while playing some romantic music (the Model S owner noted that his car played Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing when he activated Romance Mode),” Teslarati reported.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in its new regulation that drivers should be able to “select the sound they prefer from the set of sounds installed in the vehicle.”
“Some automakers have already selected their sounds,” The Verge reported. “Mercedes-Benz has an artificial humming sound picked out for its electric EQC lineup, while VW has said its compact ID.3 electric vehicles will come installed with a fake sound for low speeds when they hit showroom floors in 2020. Mercedes-AMG, the automaker’s performance brand, is working with rock band Linkin Park to find a more bass-slapping sound for its vehicles.”