Two more Model S's with more hardware spotted.

[calisnow]

I saw this just now - originally posted on Reddit Saturday night - but I don't think it's been on TMC yet. This is not the same car as the one posted last week with lidar pucks on the side mirrors.

This mysterious Tesla Model S has strange sensors and a giant 'emergency' button

And on the original Reddit comment thread with these photos (posted by "Davidhglover") a user with the SN of "Tacomaboy" who claims to be an 85S owner says he also spotted a car like this in Waco TX a week ago. That second claim is not backed up with pictures however.

To sum up - within 10 days there have now been three claimed sightings in the wild of Model S's with what appear to be additional sensors on the car - two of the claims are backed with photos.

This mysterious Tesla Model S has strange sensors and a giant 'emergency' button

And the Redditor at the end of the comment thread who claims to have also seen a similar Model S last week:

 

[InternetDude]

That's barely newsworthy. When I stopped by Tesla HQ they had cars with all sorts of extra cameras, the big red stop button, wires, etc. and that was out in the public parking lot. Tesla is testing something.

 

[Patrick W]

The big Stop button just doesn't strike me as "Tesla-like". Makes me wonder if it's someone(s) at Tesla's way of having a bit of fun with obsessive Tesla spotters.

 

[trils0n]

The big Stop button just doesn't strike me as "Tesla-like". Makes me wonder if it's someone(s) at Tesla's way of having a bit of fun with obsessive Tesla spotters.

Pretty sure every sighting with extra sensors over the years has had a big red stop button. Don't remember ever seeing a test car without it. (Seen a few of these cars myself over the years, all with different sensor setups, even before autopilot release, but the Tesla people asked for no pictures)

 

[scaesare]

Yup. Previous engineering mules had the panic-stop buttons also.

 

[Canuck]

That's barely newsworthy. When I stopped by Tesla HQ they had cars with all sorts of extra cameras, the big red stop button, wires, etc. and that was out in the public parking lot.

Not everyone gets to stop by Tesla HQ and look at the test cars. And, yes, most of us have seen the big red stop button in test cars before. But there's more going on in each picture posted than just that button. I really like looking at these pictures to see what's being experimented with --- or at least guess at it based on the contraptions. Thanks Calisnow for posting. I sure hope posts like the one I quoted above doesn't stop people from posting these types of pictures here. Your post is just as newsworthy as most post here (more so in my opinion).

 

[Auzie]

The big Stop button just doesn't strike me as "Tesla-like". Makes me wonder if it's someone(s) at Tesla's way of having a bit of fun with obsessive Tesla spotters

I had the same thoughts as you.

The button would look out of place in any car, not just sleek Tesla. Whatever the button functionality, such functionality in a car can be achieved with more adequate gadgets more suited to driving a car.

That said, the prominent out of place funny look that draws attention is fully in the spirit of Tesla engineering/marketing.

 

[L-P-G]

That's an emergency button, the only reason why you'd need that while driving would be for a level 4 autonomous driving car, so you can do an emergency stop if needed.

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

Yep, saw this car (or one just like it) in November at the Devon Service Center in PA.

 

[Jool]

I recall seeing a photo of a test car with a similar big red button on the dashboard, plus what looked like sensors all around the wheels. The self-parking option for Autopilot was released months afterwards.

Man, the wheels in the old photos were messed up!

 

[brianman]

That's an emergency button, the only reason why you'd need that while driving would be for a level 4 autonomous driving car, so you can do an emergency stop if needed.

I can think of at least a dozen reasons without L4 autonomous, in less than 1 minute thinking about it.

 

[Caligula]

That does it... Im going to glue weird random crap to my car and see how long it takes people to post pictures of it online, thinking its some sort of test vehicle.

 

[Edmond]

Those look like telemetry antennae. Be interesting to know where those cars are at night...

 

[strider]

Wouldn't it be pretty easy to determine if it's Tesla or a 3rd party by looking at the license plate to see if it's a MFGR plate or a regular one?

 

[RMG007]

Tesla is constantly testing new software and hardware, to a lesser extent. Seeing test mules does not necessarily indicate imminent change.

 

[Plan B]

The big Stop button just doesn't strike me as "Tesla-like". Makes me wonder if it's someone(s) at Tesla's way of having a bit of fun with obsessive Tesla spotters.

When you push that large red button, it opens the sunroof and ejects you over any wall either into Canada or Mexico...this will be active 1.1.17

 

[Auzie]

Tesla is adorable troll

 

[Sir Guacamolaf]

Okay time to come clean. I put all that fake hardware on my car, and was trolling the highly attentive TMC people.

 

[brkaus]

That does it... Im going to glue weird random crap to my car and see how long it takes people to post pictures of it online, thinking its some sort of test vehicle.

Glue a coffee cup above the drivers door and pretend it's LIDAR.

 

[gene]

I've been in Tesla test cars years ago. They almost always have that big red shut-off button.