-15°C/5°F Survival Challenge in a Tesla Model X with 'Keep Climate On' option

Surviving at -15°C/5°F inside a Tesla with the ‘Keep Climate On’ option

With the release of the 2018.48.12 software update, Tesla introduced the ‘Keep Climate On’ option that enables you to keep your car’s interior at the temperature of your choice — Bjørn Nyland tested this function by camping in -15°C/5°F inside his Tesla Model X.

When you turn on and set up the ‘Keep Climate On’ settings, the car turns off after a while but the heating or cooling still works in the background, in extreme temperatures such as up to -15°C/5°F the system works efficiently using minimal energy as per the calculations in the video below.

At -15°C/5°F Bjørn Nyland was able to sleep in his 6-seat Model X for 6 hours and the battery still showed ‘212 km’ left, a further breakdown of energy consumption showed that you can stay alive and well inside your Tesla vehicle for more than 24 hours in this sort of extreme climate.

EVANNEX’s Model X Sunshades also helped stop the cold coming in from the windows, windshield and the roof, originally made to stop heat but also good for cold weather and they block sunlight coming into the car to assist you in better sleep.

The new ‘Keep Climate On’ option can also be controlled via the Tesla mobile app (see release notes below for details and limitations).

Let’s watch Bjørn sleep at -15°C/5°F inside his Tesla Model X electric SUV which he calls ‘Optimus Prime’ (a rare founder series version).

Related Tesla Release Notes (2018.48.12)

Keep Climate On

You can now keep your car (and its contents) at the temperature of your choice, even after you’ve left. To help ensure that you have enough battery to drive to your next destination, the climate control will automatically turn off if the battery level reaches 20%.

You can always monitor your car and adjust the temperature using the Tesla mobile app. You will receive a notification that the bettery has reached 20% and that the climate control has turned off. This reminds you to check on anything you’ve left in the car.

To set the climate control to stay ON, tap the fan icon at the bottom of the touchscreen when your car is parked. Enable Keep Climate On and make any adjustments. You can leave knowing that your car will stay confortably cool or warm.

Note: The next time you drive your car, the climate control will reset to the previous settings from your most recent trip.

Mobile App

When you precondition your car using the mobile app, you can now turn on, off or adjust any of your seat heater. if available in your car, you’ll also be able to turn on your steering wheel heater.

Note: Requires mobile app version 3.8.0 or greater.

More in this update:

The thing to remember here is that a Tesla Model 3 will have better efficiency in keeping vehicle climate at the desired level as the battery pack is filled with newer 2170 cells and better battery management system, also being a small car than the Model S and X, Model 3 has an edge in this department too.

Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.

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Iqtidar Ali
[email protected]

Iqtidar Ali reports on the latest happenings at Tesla and Electric Vehicle forefront. With over 1 decade of experience in website development, he's our IT resource as well.


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4 Comments
  • Thom Moore
    Posted at 14:36h, 23 December Reply

    Very cool! Err, warm! And no need to leave the engine running! But why not a small propane heater to preserve the battery, at least for arctic conditions…?

    • Iqtidar Ali
      Posted at 19:21h, 23 December Reply

      Safety, Convenience?

  • superx
    Posted at 18:56h, 23 December Reply

    Is he towing a generator?

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