Tesla's Camp Mode allows you to maintain USB ports powered and keep the climate running
Teslarati
Say you’re cruising down a deserted highway in your Tesla and you’re starting to get sleepy, or you’re taking a road trip through a national park and the nearest hotel is too far away… so you pull out your mattress from your trunk, fold your backseats down and get ready to spend the night in the comfort of your car. The next thing you do is turn on Camp Mode.
When your Tesla is in Camp Mode it will maintain the optimum temperature and airflow inside the cabin (which you can adjust to your convenience). Your lighting setup will also be maintained, and even the music if you want to listen to some chill tunes while you relax inside your car.
Camp also keeps your low voltage outlet and USB ports powered so that you can charge or use your electronic devices.
The touchscreen also remains on so you can play music, browse the internet, play games in the arcade, or watch shows in Tesla Theater (requires Premium Connectivity or Wi-Fi).
Sentry Mode and Alarm
While Camp Mode is active, Sentry Mode and the vehicle alarm system are disabled, as well as auto lock (so you don’t have to constantly lock and unlock the car as you come and go). Because of this it might be a good idea to manually lock the car when you go to sleep.
How to Turn Camp Mode On
To enable camp mode, set your car to park, tap the temperature icon at the bottom of the screen and then tap on ‘Camp’.
You can also enable it using the Tesla app. Tap the Climate section, slide up the bottom drawer and select the ‘Camp’ option.
Turning Camp Mode Off
To turn Camp Mode off simply shift the vehicle out of Park or disable the mode either via your smartphone or by tapping on the temperature icon at the bottom of your screen and selecting a different mode.
Some drivers recommend creating a Camp driver profile, which automatically sets your preferences for when you're ready to crash for the night. Make any necessary modifications, such as moving the seats all the way forward, and then select your chosen temperature.
How Much Power does it Drain?
In an eight-hour period, the typical battery consumption of Camp Mode is roughly 10% of the charge. The battery will be consumed more quickly if it is really cold or there is bad weather, simply because the car will have to work harder to maintain the interior temperature you've selected.
Even at low temperatures for an eight-hour period, you're looking at a 15 percent usage rate.
Tesla’s vehicles equipped with heat pumps like Tesla Model Y or the 2021 Model 3 should be slightly more efficient while in Camp Mode.
The power drain of Camp Mode, however, is not an exact science, and it will vary greatly depending on many factors such as outside temperature and in-cabin settings - don’t risk depleting your battery.
If you’re staying at an RV park it is good to remember that many of them offer an option to charge your electric vehicle, which would be the ideal condition to run Camp Mode in.
What Happens if the Battery Gets too Low?
You cannot use Camp Mode if the battery percentage goes below 20%, in order to save the battery from depletion and allow you to reach the nearest charging station.
Which Models have Camp Mode?
All current and past Tesla vehicles have Camp Mode as a standard feature. It is also not required to have access to Tesla's Premium Connectivity in order to receive notifications regarding Camp Mode, or to enable it from your smartphone.
Tesla’s long-anticipated refresh of the Model S and Model X is drawing closer, and we’re finally getting a clearer look at what to expect. Although the update is relatively minor, it does help freshen up the look of the Model S and Model X since their redesign in 2021.
While the camouflage made the grill-like opening at the front of the vehicle hard to spot, it was evident something was there. However, new photos shared by The Kilowatts show that Tesla is covering up this opening with a material that has a carbon fiber finish, at least on the Plaid variant.
While we were hoping for more drastic changes, such as a grill-less look with a light bar, similar to the new Model Y, it looks like that won’t happen with this refresh.
The limited design changes suggest Tesla may be trying to limit tooling and manufacturing changes for these lower-volume vehicles. While the headlights already support adaptive beams, they remained unchanged from the current Model S and Model X.
Our best look at the new front bumper camera on the upcoming Model S
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Rear Diffuser
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Tesla has also updated the rear diffuser, though it’s unclear if this will be exclusive to the Plaid version. While the refreshed Model Y moved its rear camera up into the rear trim piece, the Model S keeps it in the same location as the previous generation.
Ambient Lighting Arrives
For the first time, we’re getting a look at the refreshed interior — and there’s one noticeable addition: ambient lighting. This feature, which is now available on all of Tesla’s other vehicles, is finally making its way to the Model S and Model X. The implementation appears closer in style to the Model Y, with lighting running along the door panels but stopping about halfway down before continuing on the rear doors.
While ambient lighting is primarily aesthetic, Tesla has been expanding its use for more dynamic and interactive features.
Recent Ambient Lighting Additions
Over the last year, Tesla has made the ambient lighting feature more useful by integrating it with other Tesla vehicles. For example, Santa Mode and Rainbow Road easter eggs will now take advantage of the ambient lighting, with Santa Mode cycling the colors between red and green for a Christmas flair [videos], while Rainbow Road cycles the colors of the rainbow.
Tesla has also added other little additions, such as turning the ambient lighting red when Service Mode is active in the vehicle. They have also added additional options in recent updates to ambient lighting, such as the ability to choose the brightness of the lights and choose whether they'll always remain on or only come on at night.
New Exterior Color
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The refreshed Model X was also spotted in a new exterior color, similar but not identical to the Glacier Blue available on the new Model Y outside North America.
Launch Timeline
Although Tesla hasn’t officially said anything about a new Model S besides that, it’ll receive some “love” later this year. The Kilowatts noted that Tesla doesn’t have any Model S or X vehicles in their Fremont outbound lot, making it seem like these models could be announced any day now.
While the updates are relatively minor in terms of body redesign, the addition of the front bumper camera and ambient lighting are very welcome additions.
Stay tuned to see if there are any additional changes to these vehicles.
Tesla has begun selling a new Charcoal Suede dash insert for owners of the refreshed (2024+) Model 3 and refreshed (2026+) Model Y in the Tesla store.
Currently, both refreshed Model 3 and Model Y are shipping with a textile dash finish. This new accessory upgrades that surface to a vegan Alcantara suede, which is soft-to-the-touch and considerably more premium than the standard option.
For owners of the Launch Edition Model Y, this suede trim was included as part of the Launch Edition. Now, other refreshed Model Y owners can take advantage of the more premium Alcantara suede to achieve the same look and feel in their RWD or AWD vehicles.
Sweet, Smooth, Suede.
Not a Tesla App
Pricing and Installation
For those looking to make the upgrade, the Charcoal Suede dash insert is priced at $250 USD / $345 CAD with installation included. Currently, availability is limited to the United States and Canada, but it will likely become available in Europe and Asia-Pacific over the coming weeks.
If you do purchase it, the dash insert will be sent to your service center, and you’ll be prompted to make a service appointment at that location. This is the same procedure as if you were getting a tow hitch installed on your Tesla by purchasing it through the Tesla app.
The pricing includes installation by the selected service center. Tesla has indicated that the installation process should take approximately 90 minutes for the Model Y and 120 minutes for the Model 3. It would have been nice to see self-installation included, which would help reduce the cost of the part.
Future Options
This type of dash trim upgrade is something we expected when the new Model 3 was launched in 2023. The redesigned dash makes it easier to swap out trim pieces, so it’s great to see Tesla finally offering different dash trims. We speculated that Tesla might eventually introduce different dash trims—either to match the vehicle’s exterior or to provide a more premium feel—and that’s exactly what this appears to be.
It’s a welcome addition that helps owners personalize their Teslas, especially given the limited customization options available at purchase. We hope Tesla continues expanding these choices.
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