The Tesla Model 3 has a little surprise for its dedicated fans. Owners of the $35,000 electric vehicle, which launched in July 2017, have discovered a secret hidden in the computer’s software that features a sneaky tribute to the development team.
The easter egg, discovered by Electrek on Tuesday, is the sort of little fan service that CEO Elon Musk loves to include in his products. A 2016 update featured a virtual trip to Mars as a hat tip to Musk’s SpaceX efforts, while another 2017 update included a sketchpad for doodling masterpieces on the Model S and X dashboard. Sometimes, these humorous tidbits are presented in plain sight: Tesla cars feature a “Ludicrous” performance mode, as a nod to 1987 sci-fi comedy Spaceballs.
Those that discover the easter egg are in for a nice gesture that highlights the work behind Tesla’s cheapest ever vehicle. Touching the right combination of buttons reveals a photo of the team, surrounding a silver Model 3, with Musk and designer Franz von Holzhausen at the center.
Here’s how to access the easter egg:
- Switch on the car.
- Locate the Tesla logo on the tablet located in the center of the car’s dashboard. It should be at the top of the screen, to the left of the user’s name.
- Press the logo to visit the “About Your Tesla” page.
- Hold down the “3” in the “Model 3” title for a few seconds.
- The car rendering should slide out of the way to reveal a photo of the team.
Of course, not many Tesla fans will be able to access this tribute for a while. The company is still working hard to pull production out of what Musk has dubbed the “hell” stage. In September 2017, Tesla revealed it has only produced 260 cars, far fewer than the 1,500 projected at the launch event. The company’s ultimate aim is to ramp up production to 10,000 cars per week at some point this year, but unexpected hurdles could hamper this goal.
There are signs that production is improving, though. More reports are surfacing of non-employee customers receiving invites to customize their Model 3 and utilize their $1,000 reservation to purchase the car. Tesla prioritized one such order when a man dying of cancer came forward and said that he wished to try the car as one of his last wishes. Slowly but surely, Tesla is bringing its newest car to the general public.
