Tesla’s Boombox Megaphone functionality allows drivers to project their voices from their vehicle’s speaker system. There’s already been a slew of folks who’ve demonstrated the feature in action, which is available to cars manufactured from 2019 on.
But a Tesla driver recently used the feature to mess with employees at a Chick-fil-A drive-through and troll another customer in the process.
The social media account Racing Florida (@racingflorida) highlighted the gag in a TikTok post, where a Tesla driver was behind a separate Tesla owner getting some food. The person recording the clip enabled their Megaphone and pretended to be the driver ahead of them, stating that they were stunned the location was out of Chick-fil-A sauce. This amused the fast food worker, who shared a laugh with the prankster before the video came to a close.
Tesla Megaphone: Practical Uses
The Elon Musk-led EV manufacturer is known for packaging whimsical bells and whistles into its lineup. There are myriad Easter eggs like Santa Mode, Rainbow Road, whoopie cushion fart noises and a romantic fireplace video drivers can put up on their car screens.
And while the driver in Racing Florida’s video used their megaphone to prank someone just trying to pick up some grub, another social media clip depicts a real-world, pragmatic use-case for Tesla’s megaphone: getting an animal’s attention.
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TikToker @hannah._.licious recorded herself in a Tesla with someone else who broadcasted a barking noise. Knowing there was a dog in a vehicle ahead of them at a red light, the social media user wanted to see how it would react with Megaphone engaged.
Shortly after they emitted the noise while stopped at a light, the dog poked its head out of the open window and looked their way. While Hannah and their other Tesla passenger audibly got a kick out of seeing the pet’s reaction, they did show off how folks could make loud noises to effectively scare away any animals who are ambling around the road.
Of course, a horn could provide similar functionality.
Fun Or Annoying?
Others who’ve covered the Megaphone’s roll-out seem to prioritize having fun over practicality. Drive Tesla Canada mentions that Megaphone only works when Teslas are parked but that it gives commuters “lots of creative opportunities to scare strangers and your loved ones.” On Tesla’s website, the automaker says people can “play the first five seconds of any sound from a compatible USB device” as well, so in addition to “project[ing] a modulated version of your voice” you can also make custom horn sounds come out of your Tesla.
That means if you’ve got a Dukes of Hazzard-style wrap on your Cybertruck, you can get that trademark honk to go along with it.
Megaphone Rizz
Another example of a Tesla driver getting creative with their Megaphone was highlighted by TikTok user @wenstrades. In a clip posted to social media, they record a group of young women crossing the street in front of their vehicle.
The purpose for sounding off the EV’s Megaphone: sporadic loudspeaker flirtation. “Rizzin up using Tesla megaphone feature,” they write in a text overlay of the 28-second snippet.
It doesn’t seem like his attempts at capturing the women’s affections were successful, however. They quickly look back at him but proceed to walk inside of the store they were initially headed toward. A supplemental caption also comments on the Megaphone-rizz fail: “Bro got kidnapping rizz,” it reads.
Another social media clip in front of a store from the same TikToker shows them messing with people using the Megaphone as they stroll past.
In another example of Megaphone antics, two women filmed themselves shouting at their surroundings and cackling at the aftermath.
For the most part, it looks like folks who’ve showed off their Tesla’s Megaphone on social media have mainly used it to mess around with others, though there are drivers who have used it to do a good turn, such as letting someone walking through a parking lot know they dropped something.
If you’re interested in trying it out, this social media user shows how to access your car’s Megaphone feature in the infotainment system’s Boombox section. Head to Toybox -> Boombox -> Megaphone to get started.
InsideEVs has reached out to Racing Florida via TikTok comment for further information.