Teslas offer numerous easter eggs. While most of them are fun to try, Santa Mode is easily one of the most popular and fun easter eggs. You'll find yourself coming back to Santa Mode again and again throughout the years.
What Santa Mode Does
After turning on Santa Mode you'll notice various visualizations have changed.
Santa Mode will turn your car on the screen into Santa and his sleigh. The sleigh will be pulled by two reindeer and you'll even see him carrying presents in the back. If you look closely, you'll see that Santa's sleigh is actually a modified Tesla.
You can pan and zoom the visualization to take a closer look at his sleigh.
You'll notice that the roads have suddenly been covered in snow. If you pay close attention, you'll even see that it has now started to snow.
Other vehicles that are normally rendered on the display will also change. Instead of other vehicle models, all cars will now be transformed into reindeer.
There are subtle details that show that Tesla went the extra mile with this easter egg.
For example, the speed at which your vehicle and the other vehicles are moving will affect how fast the reindeer's legs move. When you slow down, your reindeer will also slow down to a trot.
Your turn signals will also change. Instead of playing the traditional clicking sound that a turn signal makes, the sound has been changed to sleigh bells.
If you look closely at the collars your reindeer are wearing, you'll also see that they light up and flash red when you use your turn signals. If you use your left turn signal, the left reindeer's collar will flash, and if you're using the right turn signal, then the right reindeer's collar will flash. It's subtle but nicely done.
Two Variations
There are three ways to activate Santa Mode. There are also an alternate song that can be played. Two of activation methods are through voice commands while the other requires going into the All Apps menu.
How to Activate Santa Mode
"Run Rudolph Run": The most obvious way to activate Santa Mode is through the Toy Box. Tap on All Apps (the ... at the bottom), choose the Toy Box and scroll to the right to find Santa Mode. This will play the "Run Rudolph Run" song along with the visualizations, but unfortunately, the volume is fairly loud and can not be adjusted. The song will only play once through and will then stop.
"Ho ho ho": You can also activate Santa Mode via a voice command, by simply saying clicking the voice command button and saying "Ho, ho, ho." It's the same outcome as the method above, but easier to turn on.
"Ho ho ho, not funny": There's a second variation of Santa Mode that is also activated via a voice command. If you use the voice command, "Ho ho ho, not funny," then Santa Mode will turn on and the song "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" will be played.
The only difference between the various ways of activating Santa Mode is the song that is played and the sound of the turn signals
Turn Off Santa Mode
To turn off Santa Mode, you can go back to the Toy Box and turn off the slider for Santa Mode. You should also be able to use the voice command "Turn Off Santa Mode," but unfortunately there's a bug that's preventing that from working right now, so you'll need to go through the Toy Box to turn it off.
External Speakers (PWS)
If your car is equipped with a Pedestrian Warning System (PWS), you'll also have the ability to play the Santa Mode music through the outside speaker of your car.
You'll know if your car is equipped with the PWS if it emits a low sound on the outside when traveling a low speeds.
To play ‘Run Rudolph Run' or ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer' through your car's external speaker you'll need to activate the easter egg through the Toy Box and turn on the slider for "Spread Cheer."
Available on All Models
Santa Mode is available on all Tesla models, including the Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y. The Santa Mode easter egg remains largely the same regardless of the Tesla model you have. Although it does require a vehicle with the PWS to have the option to play music outside of your vehicle.
After canceling the in-house wrap program for the Cybertruck last month, Tesla has reintroduced the program with a lot of changes. Let’s take a look at the original program, then we’ll dive into what’s changed.
Tesla began the wrap program for the Model 3 and Model Y in the fall of 2023. With the arrival of the Cybertruck, Tesla launched Matte Black and Satin White options for the Cybertruck and later added 11 more colors.
Tesla initially offered high-quality PPF (Paint Protection Film) wraps, which protect the paint in addition to changing the color of the vehicle. PPF is thicker than traditional vinyl wraps, but the material costs more and is more time-consuming to apply.
Tesla’s updated program switches away from PPF wraps and now offers traditional vinyl wraps at a cheaper price. This makes Tesla’s wrap service more comparable to third-party installers.
Correction: We initially reported that the new wrap program offered PPF rather than vinyl and that the program was only available for new deliveries.
New Wrap Prices
First things first - the price of the wraps has dropped considerably, mostly due to the change away from PPF. While these prices are still a little more expensive than what you could find at a third-party location, you have the advantage of getting it directly from Tesla.
Vehicle
Original Cost
New Cost
Cybertruck
$8,000
$4,500
Model 3 / Model Y
$6,500
$4,000
Model S / Model X
Not available
Not available
Tesla initially offered 11 wrap colors, but that selection has now been reduced to eight per vehicle. Interestingly, the color options vary by model—Model 3 and Model Y owners have their own distinct palette. The Cybertruck also boasts its own unique set of colors, though unfortunately, the popular Satin White option is absent from its catalog.
Of course, the ever-popular Matte Black is still available, along with a fairly unique set of other vivid colors.
New Locations
Not a Tesla App
When the wrap program launched, it was limited to just three locations in California and one location in Texas. That meant that unless you were taking delivery at West Covina, Oceanside, Costa Mesa, or Santa Clara, you’d be unable to get a first-party wrap done by Tesla.
Under the new program, Tesla is offering wraps out of all the original locations and adding Seattle, Washington. What initially seemed like Tesla scaling back its wrap service has turned out to be them making it more affordable and efficient. While the switch to vinyl may disappoint some owners, in reality, a lot of owners probably didn’t know the difference between PPF and vinyl, making Tesla’s service seem disproportionally more expensive.
No Longer New Purchases Only
While the original wrap program was constrained to new vehicle purchases—you can now have Tesla wrap a vehicle that’s already been delivered. Paint damage and scuffs can impact the installation of wraps and require additional time to smooth out the vehicle surface, and most third-party installers charge additional fees to prepare the surface.
Tesla doesn’t appear to be charging any additional surface prep fees at this time and is able to install on any Model 3, Model Y, or Cybertruck that’s been delivered after 2023.
Either way, with cheaper wrap options, Tesla is now directly competing against third-party wrap shops. While it’s still a bit more expensive than you’d find elsewhere, it also comes with a level of care and precision from technicians intimately familiar with your vehicle.
For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.
Price Increase
The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.
The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series.
The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.
Free Lifetime Supercharging
For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.
There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.
We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.
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