--- title: "Idiots Are Driving Teslas In Mode That Disables Safety Features" description: "Tesla recently released a new hidden feature called \"Dyno Mode\" that disables a host of safety features — and people already abusing it." date: "2020-02-03" modified: "2020-02-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/dyno-mode-idiots-disable-tesla-safety-features" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "Model 3" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Idiots Are Driving Teslas In Mode That Disables Safety Features ![esla recently released a new hidden feature called "Dyno Mode" that disables a host of safety features — and people already abusing it.]() *\Image: Evolution Automotive LLC via YouTube\* ## Tesla Drift Tesla recently released a hidden feature called "Dyno Mode," meant for testing purposes, which disables a host of safety features including traction control, stability control, and automatic emergency braking. But now, [*Electrek* reports](), morons are hitting the road with the dangerous mode activated — in hopes it'll turn their cars into "[drift machines]()." ## Power Play The purpose behind the feature is to allow the car's power output to be tested on a "dynamometer" — essentially a treadmill for an entire car that can measure the torque and RPMs its drivetrain can put out. Despite the obvious risks, the feature is already being abused by Tesla owners who are posting videos online that show them driving their Teslas with the feature turned on — in one instance ending a joyride early by [crashing into a chainlink fence](). Chinese Tesla owners have uploaded videos of themselves drifting their Model 3s around corners, as [*Tesmanian* reports](), also using Dyno Mode. ## Losing Control Needless to say, this is a bad idea. Driving without safety features is dangerous and can easily cause you to lose control of your vehicle, [*Electrek* points out](). It's not even a matter of pushing the vehicle to its limits — there's practically no boost to performance in Dyno Mode, according to *Electrek*. That's what Tesla designed [Track Mode]() for, a feature specifically designed for closed circuits and racetracks that enhances cornering power and cooling. **READ MORE:** [Tesla released a ‘dyno mode’ and you should NOT use it (seriously, really)]() \[*Electrek*\] **More on Tesla:** *[Seven Unexploded WWII Bombs Found at German Tesla Factory Site]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()