5 Ways Tesla Spoils You

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Last spring when everyone was getting back out into the world and when for some reason every local government decided to fund road construction, I was rammed by a van on the freeway. It wasn’t the first time my Model 3 was hit, but it was a big enough crash to be without my Tesla for an extended period of time. While my car was in the shop for a month, I was relegated back to driving a “dumb” car. Yes, I know it sounds very privileged to say this as I do understand any luxury car is still a godsend no matter how old it is, but in terms of technological capabilities, it was as if I was transported back to the stone ages. Even after recently test driving the current crop of hot new vehicles (VW ID.4 and Kia Telluride), I can honestly say that they feel 10 years behind my 2019 Model 3. Here are 5 ways Tesla has forever spoiled the way I interact and live with cars.

Dog Mode

As an electric car with autonomous capabilities, Teslas are essentially always powered on, ready to answer their owner’s call. One of my favorite and most used functions is the ability to keep the cabin at whatever temperature I want it to be at. As a Doggy Dad, I can leave my girls in the car at a pre-set temperature without worrying about someone driving the car away as there are no keys required to keep the car on. The Model 3 also displays a standby note notifying passersby that the girls are safe in a cooled cabin. I can’t tell you enough how beneficial this is, especially for people with larger dogs. When my Model 3 went down, this was hands down the most missed thing for us, especially as my girls were enrolled in a Nosework class and had to be crated in the car during sessions. I had to bring huge fans with me to combat the scorching California heat in order to keep the girls cool and safe. Even newer EVs like the ID. 4 unfortunately don’t have modes like the one Tesla provides. They’re game changers and the future of automobiles.

Parking Brake

Remember when after placing the car into park you had to then step on a pedal to lock the parking brake into place? Yeah I don’t. Tesla doesn’t need you to throw in that extra step. Setting the car into park will automatically enable the parking brake which is exactly how every car should work. When I didn’t have my Model 3, I can’t even recall how many times I got out of the car without stepping on the parking brake. It must have been just as many times as I forgot to unlock the parking brake before driving away!

Locking the Car Doors

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve walked away from the Lexus IS without locking the door. Granted, Issy (the IS) is more than a decade old, there are still many new cars out there that require that keyfob to be present in order to get into your car. Once the Model 3 entered my life in 2019, I’ve only spent a handful of days with a keyfob in my pant pocket. Going back to needing to lock the door after exiting the car feels archaic!

Evidence All The Time

Believe it or not, this was the fifth time I’ve been in a car crash and every single time, it has essentially been the same exact crash, just progressively more damaging. Let me tell you, being rear ended by a much larger car coming at you at 70 mphs while you’re stopped dead in your tracks like a sitting duck is no fun at all. Thanks to Tesla, I at least felt less stressed relaying this information to my insurance or highway patrol. Having access to video recordings of every side of the car during every minute of the journey outside your garage really does ease your mind to the unexpected events on the road.

One Pedal Driving

This isn’t specific to Teslas as other EVs also have the capability to embrace one pedal driving, but in the case of the ID. 4, VW specifically chose to exclude true one pedal driving from the experience of what otherwise is a great car. I understand the mentality behind why one pedal driving may scare off traditional ICE drivers, which is the target audience of VW, but it only took me 30 minutes after Tesla introduced it in a software update to never want to go back to the old way of driving ever again. The ability to relax your foot off the brake pedal and let the car come to a full stop to hold by itself is a godsend in the traffic muddied roads of California. 

Yes, everything I’ve listed here is simply a boost in convenience, but isn’t that the entire purpose of technology in the first place? To improve our outlook in life and to simplify tasks that we rather not want to do?

The Model 3 and the driving experience provided through Autopilot has probably added a few years back to my life expectancy whereas I’m sure I’ve shaved off precious years of my life fighting to travel a mere 20 miles over an hour on my previous vehicle. Yes, everything I’ve listed here is simply a boost in convenience, but isn’t that the entire purpose of technology in the first place? To improve our outlook in life and to simplify tasks that we rather not want to do? I wouldn’t drive if I could, but seeing as I can’t afford a chauffeur in this lifetime, to have a driving experience be so effortless is the next best thing I could hope for. That and 75% less cars on the 57 Freeway.     

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