In 2018, Elon Musk’s Tesla released a software update timed for the holidays that included a so-called “emissions testing” mode allowing Model S, 3, and X owners to play a variety of flatulent noises with the push of a button.
While the novelty of the prank feature has more than likely worn off for the vast majority of users, some Tesla employees continue to be haunted by it to this day.
As the San Francisco Standard’s Zara Stone experienced first hand, her Bay Area Tesla robotaxi seemingly got stuck in the mode, erupting in gaseous sounds during her ride. An Instagram video shows her bewildering encounter with far more flatulence than anybody could’ve bargained for.
When Stone asked the human safety driver — who Tesla is required to have behind the wheel as the company’s robotaxis are not licensed in California yet — why the car kept farting, he shrugged and replied “no idea.”
