The high-tech electric vehicle automaker Tesla is rolling out a new feature in its cars, and it sounds like it’ll be perfect for anyone looking for a calmer, more relaxing ride. It’s a new acceleration model titled “Chill,” designed to soften and smooth out the more dramatic, surging acceleration speed that the Tesla Model S and Model X have previously offered.
The change is described in the release notes for the new update, which went live on Sunday. But as Electrek notes, it won’t be immediately rolled out to all Tesla drivers. After the update, there will be two acceleration modes, a “Standard” one for those who like the rapid acceleration and instant torque―in a test, the Tesla Model S P100D was reportedly capable of going from 0-60 mph in less than three seconds on its highest setting―and a “Chill” one for people who prefer a slower, more gradual speed increase.
Previously, the acceleration modes had slightly more stressful, frantic-sounding names: Insane and Ludicrous. Chill and Standard, by comparison, sound pretty cozy.
Tesla's new "chill acceleration" setting is a great idea. The torque of a P100D is sometimes just too much https://t.co/qybAaCJqsr
— Tom Randall (@tsrandall) November 5, 2017
The upshot is that people more used to driving traditional gasoline-powered cars, which don’t boast nearly the intense acceleration abilities of the current run of Teslas, can now choose the Chill setting to make their new ride handle a little bit more like the vehicles they’ve driven in the past.
This might not be something that the performance-obsessed motorist will care about, but for anyone who favors a smooth, more relaxed ride, this could be a very useful update to Tesla’s software.