Long-time EV advocate, Tesla owner, and YouTube personality Bjørn Nyland says there's an assumption out there that Tesla's Chill Mode reduces energy consumption. While it would certainly seem that could be true, as far as we're aware, no one has really put it to the test and determined without error that energy savings are a consistent reality (or a myth).

For those unaware, Tesla's Chill Mode is a feature that dials back the car's power. Since Tesla's vehicles have an incredible amount of torque and can accelerate ridiculously quickly, there may be times when owners don't want that power on tap. Perhaps it's just too much, or the roads are wet or icy, they have a younger driver piloting the car, or they hope to save some energy.

Chill Mode can be accessed on a Tesla's touch screen in the 'Driving' section for acceleration. Among other driving-related features, such as Steering Mode and regenerative braking settings (Low and Standard), you can toggle between Standard Mode and Chill Mode. Some Tesla vehicles also have modes like Ludicrous and Insane.

Nyland uses his Tesla Model 3 to compare energy consumption between Standard Mode and Chill Mode. He had previously tested his Model X and learned that there are actually no energy savings. In this test, Nyland uses the Scan My Tesla app. He's able to see the car's power output and its consumption.

Nyland's results are two-fold, and quite interesting. As is expected, if you press the accelerator pedal to the floor while in Chill Mode, it works to limit the car's power, which isn't the case in Standard Mode. So, in this case, you'd save energy. However, putting your car in Chill Mode and then 'flooring it' seems counterintuitive. 

Nyland says if you are just driving "normally," it doesn't actually matter which mode your Tesla is in. It consumer that same amount of energy. There are plenty of related details in the video that make this all much more clear. Check it out and leave us a comment.

Got a tip for us? Email: tips@insideevs.com