Tesla Model 3 goes to the Prom...

[GreenMtnM3]

This past weekend my 17 year old son was planning to attend his senior prom with some friends and asked me if he could PLEASE drive my Model 3. After some consideration and a thorough review of his plans (who will be in the car, where will he be going) I agreed. Before he left I enabled the "Speed Limit" function with my phone and set it to 60mph. His route would take him mostly on country roads with 50mph speed limits. This was the first time I've used this feature.

He was totally fine with this. Until he realized that it also set the acceleration to "Chill" mode. He asked me to remove the limit so that his friends could experience the 'awesome' acceleration of the Tesla. I thought about it for less than a nanosecond and said "No." Senior prom is exactly the wrong time to be giving demonstrations of Tesla's performance capabilities. Even in chill mode, it is no slouch, its just not Tesla fast.

The mobile app that provided updates on the speed and location of the Model 3 were nice. He spent the night at a friend's house (per plan) and returned the next morning. He was grateful for the privilege of being allowed to use the car and in hindsight agreed that having the car in speed limit mode was a reasonable decision.

Thanks to Tesla for making a car that is nice enough that my son is eager to use it, and for providing me the ability to tone down the performance enough to make it a safe car for it to be loaned to him.

 

[smatthew]

Sounds like good choices were made all around.

 

[loneranger08]

This past weekend my 17 year old son was planning to attend his senior prom with some friends and asked me if he could PLEASE drive my Model 3. After some consideration and a thorough review of his plans (who will be in the car, where will he be going) I agreed. Before he left I enabled the "Speed Limit" function with my phone and set it to 60mph. His route would take him mostly on country roads with 50mph speed limits. This was the first time I've used this feature.

He was totally fine with this. Until he realized that it also set the acceleration to "Chill" mode. He asked me to remove the limit so that his friends could experience the 'awesome' acceleration of the Tesla. I thought about it for less than a nanosecond and said "No." Senior prom is exactly the wrong time to be giving demonstrations of Tesla's performance capabilities. Even in chill mode, it is no slouch, its just not Tesla fast.

The mobile app that provided updates on the speed and location of the Model 3 were nice. He spent the night at a friend's house (per plan) and returned the next morning. He was grateful for the privilege of being allowed to use the car and in hindsight agreed that having the car in speed limit mode was a reasonable decision.

Thanks to Tesla for making a car that is nice enough that my son is eager to use it, and for providing me the ability to tone down the performance enough to make it a safe car for it to be loaned to him.

While I agree with your decision regardless of which kind of model 3 you have, which one do you have? If it were a P3D I'd have said "hell no!"

 

[GreenMtnM3]

While I agree with your decision regardless of which kind of model 3 you have, which one do you have? If it were a P3D I'd have said "hell no!"

Dual Motor Long Range. Not the P3D, but way faster than an unsupervised 17 year old needs, particularly in the company of friends!

 

[SR22pilot]

Dual Motor Long Range. Not the P3D, but way faster than an unsupervised 17 year old needs, particularly in the company of friends!

I agree big time.

 

[commasign]

Well done! What other car lets you set things like valet mode, PIN-to-drive mode, speed-limit mode, and chill mode?

 

[ngogas]

I will allow my son when FSD is fully done and it can drive itself. lol

 

[nvx1977]

I drove my date to the prom in this:

chill mode was built-in and permanent.

 

[CamDLux]

I drove my date to the prom in this:

chill mode was built-in and permanent.

Activate SHAGWAGON mode!

 

[nvx1977]

Activate SHAGWAGON mode!

admittedly the back of the minivan is better suited for post-prom activities than Model 3. Though admittedly I don't have first-hand experience with the Model 3. yet.

The kids' car seats are significant obstacles.

 

[Runnergirl]

This past weekend my 17 year old son was planning to attend his senior prom with some friends and asked me if he could PLEASE drive my Model 3. After some consideration and a thorough review of his plans (who will be in the car, where will he be going) I agreed. Before he left I enabled the "Speed Limit" function with my phone and set it to 60mph. His route would take him mostly on country roads with 50mph speed limits. This was the first time I've used this feature.

He was totally fine with this. Until he realized that it also set the acceleration to "Chill" mode. He asked me to remove the limit so that his friends could experience the 'awesome' acceleration of the Tesla. I thought about it for less than a nanosecond and said "No." Senior prom is exactly the wrong time to be giving demonstrations of Tesla's performance capabilities. Even in chill mode, it is no slouch, its just not Tesla fast.

The mobile app that provided updates on the speed and location of the Model 3 were nice. He spent the night at a friend's house (per plan) and returned the next morning. He was grateful for the privilege of being allowed to use the car and in hindsight agreed that having the car in speed limit mode was a reasonable decision.

Thanks to Tesla for making a car that is nice enough that my son is eager to use it, and for providing me the ability to tone down the performance enough to make it a safe car for it to be loaned to him.

No pictures??!!

 

[ammulder]

admittedly the back of the minivan is better suited for post-prom activities than Model 3. The kids' car seats are significant obstacles.

No pictures??!!

 

[Garlan Garner]

I drove my date to the prom in this:

chill mode was built-in and permanent.

Hmmm...… Did you park around the block and walk to the prom?

 

[norbert-tx]

Well done! What other car lets you set things like valet mode, PIN-to-drive mode, speed-limit mode, and chill mode?

Chrysler has something similar called Keysense.

 

[timk225]

Tell your son you will give high speed rides to his friends, with you doing the driving. I don't think they would refuse that. And not on prom night, but a normal weekend.

 

[jackospd]

Good story! I have a 15 yr old who keeps saying she needs me to teach her how to drive and she wants to do it in the Model 3 (P3D+). I hadn't thought of chill mode or the speed limit setting, but even with those I think she'll be learning the old fashioned way in an old fashion ICE car. Maybe someday there will be an option to have the car takeover from a bad or new driver.

 

[alexGS]

Good move with the performance limiting. That’s what being 17-yr-old should mean; a taste of the world, but not the whole thing... there’s 27-yrs-old and 37-yrs-old for that

I’m sure it’s fun driving someone else’s Tesla but having your own is a different level, more value in it.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Well done.

We know how a demonstration of speed resulted in a fiery Model X crash that ultimately killed a teenage passenger.

As my wife says: one boy, one brain; two boys, half a brain; three boys, no brain.

 

[Jack007]

Well done.

We know how a demonstration of speed resulted in a fiery Model X crash that ultimately killed a teenage passenger.

As my wife says: one boy, one brain; two boys, half a brain; three boys, no brain.

I think that her math is off a bit, start with a half and go from there. Once around 35 maybe a brain.

 

[betterhaircut]

I feel like I’ve been making a huge mistake this whole time haha Because I take the train into work or work from home, I rarely need my car during work hours and so I let my 17 year old brother take my Model 3 to school nearly everyday. And I never limit the speed or anything like that. For the most part, I do trust him. Rather him drive that car then anything else considering the cost of gas and Tesla’s safety features.

Glad your son was able to have a good time!!