Tesla is known for staying ahead of the electric vehicle competition. The company’s proprietary Tesla Supercharger network offers cheaper, easier, and more reliable charging than third-party providers. Now, Tesla is introducing a new feature: the Tesla loo. Located at a garden centre north of Luton, the first Tesla-branded toilet block is set to open its doors.
The toilet block will be left unlocked during garden centre opening times and accessible out of hours via a passcode found on the Tesla screen. A vending machine will also be installed. This addition symbolizes Tesla’s willingness to try new things and improve the user experience.
Tesla’s user experience is what makes the test of the Model Y so interesting. Many electric cars of this size and shape are similar to look at and drive, so manufacturers need to do something to stand out. One feature that’s starting to shine is Pet mode, which allows dogs to stay in the car while the owner is away.
With Pet mode, the car locks as the owner walks away, but the passenger can stay cool without setting off any alarms or leaving the car running. This feature is useful for passengers, not just pets. The car’s security features, such as Sentry mode, also provide reassurance when the car is left unattended.
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Sentry mode utilizes the car’s cameras for CCTV purposes, providing security and reassurance. However, running Sentry mode continuously can drain the battery. The author experienced this issue, with about 10% of range disappearing overnight. A trip to Gemini AI to describe the battery drainage symptoms gave me the answer, pointing to the energy breakdown use of the Model Y since the last charge.
Almost 25 miles of range had been drained while the car was parked in less than 24 hours, compared to the single mile used preconditioning the car. Now, Sentry mode defaults to off, and the author only uses it in certain situations, such as unsavory car parks or streets.
The wider Tesla user experience is the thing I’m enjoying most about running our Model Y and what’s making this test so interesting. Some loos aren’t going to move the dial for the brand but they symbolise its willingness to try things and make the user experience better. So many chargers just don’t have adjacent facilities on site when you’re filling up, making installing them in the first place somewhat of a half-finished job.
Tesla is known for its ability to improve the user experience through software updates and new features, evident in the introduction of the Tesla loo and other features such as Pet mode and Sentry mode. The introduction of the Tesla loo may seem like a small thing, but it symbolizes the company’s willingness to try new things and improve the user experience, as seen in the impact of drivers on the road.