See This Tesla Model S Making Smoke? A Bug Is The Cause

And we do not mean the VW Bug.

Gustavo Henrique Ruffo

By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo

Sep 18, 2019 at 4:05pm ET

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Tesla vehicles are praised for their active and passive safety levels. Nonetheless, some drivers would love to see what their EVs can actually do. The DragTimes YouTube channel managed to discover just that. In fact, it was Dan, a friend of Brooks Weisblat, the video presenter. And it shows a way – or a bug, we’ll probably never know – to disable all active safety systems in a Model S.

Weisblat repeatedly warns viewers not to try the bug at home. But the warnings are just a legal procedure to make sure people will take responsibility for choosing to do so. This is something they are normally not willing to do. Especially when they can just sue other people to take the blame.

With the legal concerns duly handled, Weisblat uses the bug to have his Model S completely untamed. It also loses the regenerative braking, a situation that makes the Tesla coast. Really.

When Weisblat decides to do a 0 to 60 mph run, he realizes Launch control is also not available. That makes the tires spin more than necessary, lose traction, and, consequently, time.

Making a perfect acceleration time takes time. The driver has to know exactly how much pressure to put on the gas pedal at first and afterward. At least when you talk about an ICE car.

Electric vehicles, with their instant torque, probably do not allow for that sort of fine modulation, hence the Launch control.

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But the smoking part of the video – literally – is when Weisblat decides to make donuts with his Model S. He does that in an empty parking lot. That’s when we discover the car resets if it stays put for a little while.

The final part is when the video presenter teaches Model S owners how to deactivate the systems. As he warned, do not do that unless you are willing to take full responsibility for what happens. Knowing what you are doing at the steering wheel also helps a lot. Have fun with your Model S. Responsibly, please.