When I get in my car, there are plenty of things I aim to do: set up the GPS, hook up some tunes, quadruple-check that I haven’t forgotten my wallet again, etc. I can’t say that I’m really itching to catch up on all the Netflix shows I’ve been missing out on. But Tesla is here to make sure you can do just that!
You’re reading that right. Elon Musk announced via Twitter that Tesla drivers will soon be able to stream Netflix and YouTube—as long as the car is stopped.
I can’t say I see the appeal of settling down in my car for a Stranger Things marathon—but the option will be there for people who spend a lot of time just sitting in unmoving cars.
Interestingly, this new feature doesn’t actually seem like it’ll work out super well in several Tesla models. The Models S and X both have large screens—but they’re also vertically oriented, not horizontal, which is definitely not the preferred orientation for watching literally anything (remember, everyone: record your videos on landscape mode please).
It’s the Model 3 and the upcoming Model Y that will both have the horizontally oriented screens, which will probably make them the preferred models for streaming… if you’re buying your car solely based on how well you can watch YouTube on it.
Musk also added that these streaming modes will become available during vehicle operation when full self-driving is approved by regulators. Now, I can see the interest in streaming in that instance—but we’re definitely not in a place where drivers can go ahead and stream a film on the road yet.