Tesla owners who travel with kids can breathe an extra sigh of relief with the electric car maker’s V10 Update, as the company has introduced a new feature known as “Joe Mode.” The new feature will allow drivers to lower the volume of alerts and prompts that are engaged while the vehicle is in motion.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced some details on V10’s “Joe Mode” earlier this year while replying to numerous followers who speculated about what new features will be coming to be new update. As one follower asked for a mode that would help keep his children asleep during drives, Musk replied with introductory information about the V10 feature.
The addition of “Joe Mode,” while seemingly minor, will likely be a welcome feature among parents, particularly those who regularly take trips with their kids. Any parent could attest that keeping kids asleep during drives is an exercise in both patience and silence, and any loud noises within the cabin could easily wake children up. This is especially true if parents are traveling with babies or toddlers, who could easily make a nighttime drive very stressful if they are awake and agitated.
It is not known who Joe is, or why he was the inspiration for a mode that would enable children or adult passengers to not be disturbed by alert noises, but Musk has once again proven that Tesla is adapting to the needs that owners seek. Parents everywhere will have the ability to halve the volume of any number of alert noises that notify drivers of upcoming maneuvers, including Autopilot lane changes. Owners will be able to activate “Joe Mode” by entering Controls > Safety & Security > Joe Mode.
Apart from “Joe Mode,” the V10 Update will also feature new entertainment options, like “Theater Mode”, as well as improvements to stop sign and traffic light recognition, highway Autopilot and Smart Summon. “Theater Mode” will allow a parked Tesla to stream video from both YouTube and Netflix. In conjunction with a large dash and surround sound speakers, viewers are in for one of the best movie viewing experiences from inside of a car in the world.