Sleepy Golden Retriever Seen Testing Tesla Model X Plaid Dog Mode

The dog was napping in the driver's seat, awaiting his or her owner's return.

By: Andrei Nedelea

Sep 1, 2021 at 8:29am ET

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Dog Mode is one of Tesla’s most unusual features, and while Tesla owners who don’t also have a dog don’t really give it too much thought, those that do have one use it quite frequently and it’s one of their favorite things about the vehicle. Recently, a brand new (we presume pre-production) Model X Plaid was spotted in Sillicon Valley with a dog inside, and the canine passenger had dozed off.

The golden retriever was in the driver’s seat and the Tesla’s big central display showed that the temperature inside the vehicle was a very pleasant 68°F or 20°C. We don’t really know if Tesla was actively testing Dog Mode with a dog inside out in public - it most likely wasn’t - but the fact that one was spotted brings hope to those who have ordered one and are expecting to take delivery in early 2022 (in March-April).

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This particular example rode on 22-inch Turbine wheels, which are larger than the 20-inch Cyberstream wheels that will be fitted to it as standard, but they do drop the claimed EPA range from 340 miles to 330 miles and also fetch a $5,500 price premium. Recently, there have been a number of Model X Plaid sightings around the Tesla test track, as well as at the Fremont factory.

The Tesla Model X Plaid kicks off at $119,990, which actually means it’s a bit cheaper than the Model S Plaid. The sedan starts at $129,990, so it’s $10,000 more expensive, even though they have the same powertrain, the same 95 kWh battery pack and unmatched straight line performance.