15 surprising facts about Tesla cars you probably didn't know

Danielle Muoio

2017-03-04T15:07:00Z

Tesla is gearing up to release its long-awaited Model 3.

Tesla said it's on track to begin Model 3 production in July with deliveries slated to begin late this year.

But while we wait for the Model 3, it's worth remembering some other hidden features that make current Tesla vehicles so great.

Scroll down for a closer look:

Musk wants Tesla's car line to be the definition of sexy — literally. The Model S, Model X, and upcoming Model 3 are all part of a quest for the car line to spell SEXY or S3XY upon the release of Tesla's eventual Model Y SUV.

Tesla initially wanted the Model 3 to be dubbed the Model E, but that dream was dashed when Ford filed for the Model E trademark, leading to one of Musk's more excellent quotes:

"Like, why did you go steal Tesla's E? Like you're some sort of fascist army marching across the alphabet, some sort of 'Sesame Street' robber?"

In addition to the Model Y, Tesla wants to produce a mini bus and semitruck in the future.

Musk announced in his "Master Plan, Part Deux" that Tesla would build an all-electric semitruck and a driverless electric bus. But we'll have to wait for further details on that front.

The truck, like Tesla's cars currently in production, will be equipped with self-driving hardware, Musk said in an interview with CNBC, according to Electrek. Musk added that a driver would still be necessary for a few years, though.

Musk is a huge fan of placing Easter eggs in Tesla cars, like the one that lets you "drive" down Rainbow Road — like in Mario Kart!

Clicking Autopilot four times in rapid succession will turn the road shown on Tesla's infotainment console into a rainbow. Musk referred to it as a "psychedelic cowbell road."

Musk is clearly a fan of rainbows, because pressing the button on Tesla's charge handle will make the port flash in rainbow colors.

The Tesla CEO also turned his love of James Bond films into an Easter egg. Model S owners can hold down the "T" button to bring up the technician log-in screen, and typing in "007" will transform the car shown on the infotainment center into the submersible Lotus Esprit S1 car.

The Easter egg changes the suspension into "depth (leagues)."

The most recent Easter egg pays homage to Musk's SpaceX ambitions. Just like the James Bond Easter egg, holding down the "T" button will prompt a request for an access code. Enter "Mars," and your infotainment screen will turn into the red planet.

—Jason Hughes (@wk057) December 23, 2016

As part of that Easter egg, the rendering of your car will turn into SpaceX's Interplanetary Transport System.

In 2013, the Tesla Model S broke the machine the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration uses for roof-crush evaluations.

The Model S earned a 5.4 on the evaluation — impressive, considering cars are typically ranked on a scale of one to five stars.

That same year, the Tesla Model S became the first electric car to receive the Motor Trend Car of the Year honor.

That's right — at the time, it was the first electric car to win the award in its 64-year history.

Last year, the Tesla Model S became the first electric car to surpass a range of 300 miles.

The Tesla P100D with Ludicrous mode bumps the Model S range up to 315 miles.

In February, a Model S beat a Porsche 911 in a first-of-its-kind speed test.

The Tesla Model S P100D is the first production car to reach 60 mph in under 2.3 seconds, edging out a Porsche 911.

But there are other ways Tesla tries to stay competitive, like through its glass offerings.

In 2013, the Model S came with the largest panoramic sunroof opening at the time. Tesla announced an all-glass roof for the Model S last month. Musk also recently announced that Tesla has a new glass division that's developing new glass tech to use on the Model 3.

In November, Musk also said on Twitter that future Tesla vehicles may come with a solar roof.

The Model X can have the air quality of an operating room.

Tesla Model X — A Tesla Motors Model X electric sports-utility vehicles is seen on stage a presentation in Freemont, California September 29, 2015. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

Tesla's Bioweapon Defense Mode uses large HEPA — high-efficiency particulate arrestance — filters to neutralize harmful chemicals and pollution in the car's cabin.

It's technically illegal to drive the Model X over the Brooklyn Bridge.

As Jalopnik pointed out, the Model X weighs over 6,000 pounds, exceeding the Brooklyn Bridge's weight limit of 3 tons, or 6,000 pounds.

Autopilot has already slashed crash rates for Tesla vehicles.

Since Autopilot was installed in 2015, crash rates for Tesla vehicles have fallen 40%.

To account for the cars being safer, insurance may be included with your future Tesla.

Tesla is already selling insurance with its vehicles in Hong Kong and Australia and hopes to expand the program in the future.

Tesla Elon Musk