Tesla Spaceballs and Ludicrous+ Easter Egg

Model S

Model X

December 1, 2020

By Nuno Cristovao

The screen will go black for a short time. A star field will swiftly appear and zoom forward, closely resembling a jump to ludicrous speed from the movie Spaceballs.

In subsequent updates, this Easter egg was co-opted to activate a genuine "ludicrous+" performance enhancement beyond the normal ludicrous mode. When the Easter egg is activated, the star field zooms forward until the entire screen is momentarily white. When the flash fades, a text box is revealed which asks "Are you sure you want to push the limits? This will cause accelerated wear of the motor, gearbox and battery". As a nod to The Matrix, a metaphorical red pill and blue pill option is given in the form of two buttons at the bottom of the text box. A blue button reads "No, I want my Mommy" while a red button exclaims "Yes, bring it on!".

If "Yes, bring it on!" is chosen, the car may prepare itself by heating the battery. The smaller display in front of the driver changes to give a purple indicator for battery temperature, to show the front and rear motors on the car graphic, and to give a table with values including peak longitudinal acceleration.

In the movie Spaceballs, there is only one speed which exceeds ludicrous. As a continuation of Tesla's use of Spaceballs terminology, future versions of the Model S and Model X, as well as the Tesla Roadster (2021), will include a new mode of acceleration which is even faster than Ludicrous+. This new mode is called "Plaid".

This easter egg works on the Model S and X. Vehicle must have the ludicrous mode option.

To activate this easter egg: In the controls menu, switch the software-controlled acceleration from "sport" to "ludicrous" and then tap and hold on the "ludicrous" text for 5 seconds.

Tesla Issues Physical Recall for Some Model 3 & Model Y Vehicles Over Seat Fasteners

June 27, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Tesla has issued a new, voluntary safety recall for a small batch of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles due to an issue with improperly tightened fasteners in the first-row seats.

The recall impacts only about 48 vehicles and will require a Tesla service visit to resolve.

Improperly Tightened Fasteners

According to the recall notice, the issue stems from the first-row seating that may have been manufactured with improperly torqued fasteners that attach the seat back to the seat bottom. In some cases, the fasteners may be loose or missing, which could cause a rattle or the seat to detach.

This is a critical safety issue, as a seat back that is not properly anchored could detach, leaving the driver or passenger unsupported and increasing the risk of an accident.

According to Tesla’s investigation, this issue originated from a production change made for vehicles manufactured between April 3rd and May 7th of 2025. However, not all vehicles built within that date are impacted by the recall. The issue impacts 30 2026 Model Ys and 18 2025 Model 3s, across all variants, including RWD, AWD, and Performance (for the Model 3).

Thankfully, there have been no incidents related to this issue to date.

The Fix

Since this is a physical recall, Tesla will have to inspect impacted vehicles and replace and properly retorque the seat fasteners as needed, free of charge.

Owners of vehicles who have been impacted have already been contacted under the voluntary recall, and most vehicles should have been repaired by the time this notice is formally issued.

You can also check if your VIN is impacted by a recall using Tesla’s Recall Tool.

Tesla has noted the repair should take approximately one hour of work at a Service Center, and up to two hours if a Mobile Ranger addresses the recall.

Tesla Robotaxi Sends Out More Invites: Next Phases of Robotaxi

June 27, 2025

By Karan Singh

@TerrapinTerpene

Following the successful launch of Robotaxi on Sunday, June 22nd, Tesla has begun moving to the next phase of its Robotaxi rollout. They have finally begun sending out a second, larger wave of invites, expanding the early access program to more members of the Tesla community across the United States.

This has moved them past the initial 20 or so users that were offered access on Sunday. That also means Tesla is on the hunt for something crucial: more real-world data.

More Riders ASAP

The initial launch was a tightly controlled event, with access granted to a small and curated group of influencers. While this approach was ideal for generating initial buzz for the launch and collecting feedback from high-quality testers, it also presented logistical challenges.

With only a handful of authorized riders and vehicles, the demand for rides would inevitably dry up as influencers begin their journeys back home. Without a public release, that would leave Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet idle, unable to gather additional data.

To rapidly improve on Robotaxi’s FSD, Tesla needs its vehicles to be constantly navigating real-world scenarios, encountering edge cases, and logging miles. The second round of invites is needed to keep Robotaxis learning and on the road.

Austin Users Next?

This new wave of invites isn’t an open door for members of the public quite yet. By continuing to send invites to trusted community members, Tesla is executing a slow and deliberate rollout by inviting members who know and love Tesla. This allows them to scale the program gradually, increasing the number of users and the diversity of ride requests without overwhelming the relatively small initial fleet of about 10 cars.

Future phases will likely involve opening access to Tesla owners within Austin, which would open up a regular flow of rides. Once that’s done, Robotaxi will likely open up to the public.

Sign of Confidence

The expansion of the early access program is a sign that Tesla is happy and confident with the rollout so far. While Tesla can gather plenty of data around Austin from Tesla owners using FSD, they also need to continue testing features that are exclusive to the Robotaxi, such as the Robotaxi app, support, and remotely control the vehicles when needed.

We expect a full launch to potentially still be months out, but this methodical expansion will likely see more users gradually gain access to the Robotaxi network in the coming weeks.