You can now use your Tesla as a megaphone to alert pedestrians in real time

It seems that Tesla is reading fan forums, as the huge V11 Christmas software update that the company released for its vehicles includes the so-called Megaphone mode for the mandatory pedestrian-oriented speakers. Someone did suggest it in the Tesla Motors Club forum last December et voilà, Tesla happily obliged. Previously, the external regulation speakers on Tesla cars had just the Boombox option which lets them blast different pre-recorded sounds to alert pedestrians that a silent EV is coming their way.

Pedestrian awareness of electric cars is increasingly becoming a problem, as they approach crossroads as swift, quiet and deadly submarines that nobody can hear until it's too late for a reaction. Well, no more, as their drivers can use the Megaphone option now, instead of playing a tailored sound, and warn absent-minded people to look in the opposite direction for a rapidly approaching Tesla.

Needless to say, the Megaphone option can quickly become annoying or taken advantage of for the owner's amusement, but at least it's there and can serve a useful purpose to avoid accidents if deployed wisely. Tesla's Megaphone features will only be available on its 2019 and later cars, tucked into the V11 Christmas update audio options. Here's a quick demonstration how the Megaphone works on a Tesla after the update, a bit robotic and reverberating, but relaying the driver's voice to the outside world in a near real-time manner.

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