Ever notice your Tesla’s range sitting at exactly 121 km? Open the app, tap the battery icon, and you’ll see a strange message: “Time Circuits Off” with a prompt to “Reset clock for temporal displacement.” Your vehicle name even switches to “OUTATIME”—the legendary license plate from the Back to the Future DeLorean.
That’s not a glitch. It’s one of hundreds of Easter eggs Tesla has hidden across its vehicles.
From sci-fi homages to funny voice commands, Tesla’s playful side has turned owners into digital treasure hunters. Here’s your complete guide to the best ones—some you may know, others you’ve probably missed.
Visual & Navigation Easter Eggs
These eggs change what you see on screen—from your map to your charge port light.
Mars Mode
Originally activated by holding the “T” logo and entering the code “Mars,” this is now found in the Toybox menu. Enable it, and your navigation map switches to a high-resolution Mars surface map. Your vehicle icon becomes a Mars rover. On models with RGB ambient lighting, the cabin glows light orange. AMD Ryzen vehicles also get a Mars-themed park visualization. Even the climate screen shows red airflow, and the Tesla app displays orange air streams.
Rainbow Road
Available on vehicles with Autopilot. Quickly pull the Autopilot stalk four times—and the lane lines on your display turn into a rainbow. It’s a direct nod to Mario Kart’s iconic track. The car also plays Don’t Fear The Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult. For newer stalk-less models (like the Highland Model 3), you can trigger this via Toybox or by pressing the steering wheel Autopilot button four times.
Santa Mode
Say “Ho Ho Ho” or “Ho Ho Ho Not Funny” to activate. The first triggers Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry. Your Tesla becomes a sleigh on screen, with the Optimus robot as the driver. Turn signals even chime like jingle bells.
Rainbow Chargeport Light
While plugged in, press the charge cable button 10 times quickly. The charge port light cycles through rainbow colors for a few seconds before returning to normal.
Voice Command Triggers
Tesla’s voice recognition responds to more than just standard nav and music commands
Charge Port Control
Say “open butthole” or “close butthole” to operate the charge port door. (Fair warning: it sometimes triggers the trunk instead.) The cleaner variants “open bunghole” and “close bunghole” work just as well.
Seat Heating Hacks
Cold? Say “my balls are cold” or “my butt is cold” to turn on the driver’s seat heater. For your passenger, try “eject passenger seat” or “turn on passenger seat bacon.” You can also say “turn on driver seat bacon” or “turn on passenger seat bacon.” To adjust heat levels, say “turn on 1, 2, or 3 seat bacons.”
Sentry Mode
Say “Keep Tesla Safe” or “Keep Summer Safe” to activate Sentry Mode. This is a reference to Rick and Morty, where Rick tells the car to protect Summer. The Sentry Mode icon also has fun history—it was originally HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, later updated to the sentry turret eye from Portal.
Climate Control
Say “enable life support” or “disable life support” to turn your HVAC system on or off.
Pop Culture & Film Tributes
Tesla’s software team clearly loves movies, TV, and classic sci-fi. Here’s where they show it.
Monty Python Tribute
Change your vehicle name to one of these: “Patsy,” “Rabbit of Caerbannog,” “Mr. Creosote,” “Flying Circus,” “Biggus Dickus,” or “Unladen Swallow.” A “foot of Cupid” drops onto the screen with a fart sound. This was actually discovered by a Swiss Model 3 owner who named his car “Rabbit of Caerbannog.” After the animation, Tesla Theater adds a shortcut to the Monty Python YouTube channel.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Name your car “42” and it auto-renames to “Life, the Universe, and Everything.” A perfect tribute to Douglas Adams’ famous “answer to the ultimate question.”
James Bond – Lotus Esprit Submarine
Available only on air suspension vehicles. In the Suspension menu, long-press the car icon to bring up a code entry box. Enter “007” and your Tesla becomes the Lotus Esprit submarine from The Spy Who Loved Me. A “Depth (Leagues)” dropdown appears—adjusting it changes your ride height. Trigger it again and the submarine fins turn into wheels, but depth still controls suspension.
Spaceballs “Ludicrous Speed”
For vehicles with Ludicrous Mode. Switch acceleration from “Sport” to “Ludicrous,” then long-press the word “Ludicrous” for 5 seconds. The screen flashes to black, then shows a starfield rushing forward—mimicking the “Ludicrous Speed” jump from the movie Spaceballs.
Backgammon – Lost Reference
In Tesla’s backgammon game, the subtitle reads: “Two players, two sides. One is light, one is dark.” That’s a direct quote from Lost (Locke teaching Walt to play). The board also shows the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42—the infamous sequence from the show. If your score matches one, it turns green instead of gray.
Model X Light Show
Exclusive to Model X. This holiday-themed light show uses the headlights, fog lights, and turn signals in a choreographed display. Perfect for driveways and parking lots.
Quick Reference Table
Easter Egg |
Trigger Method |
Best For |
|---|---|---|
Mars Mode |
Toybox menu |
Sci-fi fans |
Rainbow Road |
4x Autopilot stalk/button pulls |
Mario Kart lovers |
Santa Mode |
Voice: “Ho Ho Ho” |
Holiday spirit |
Rainbow Chargeport |
Press cable button 10x while charging |
Showing off |
Seat Heaters |
Voice: “my butt is cold” |
Cold mornings |
Sentry Mode |
Voice: “Keep Summer Safe” |
Rick & Morty fans |
007 Submarine |
Enter “007” in Suspension menu |
Bond enthusiasts |
Ludicrous Speed |
Long-press “Ludicrous” 5s |
Speed demons |
Monty Python |
Rename car to “Patsy” etc. |
Comedy nerds |
42 / Hitchhiker’s |
Rename car to “42” |
Bookworms |
Easter eggs may be small, but they add personality to an already smart car. Have you found one that’s not on this list? Drop it in the comments—let’s see who’s the ultimate Easter egg hunter.