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New Tesla climate control feature could save lives

September 23rd, 2016  |  Auto

If even one child or pet dies due to being left in an overheated car, it is one too many. While some car companies have tried to find ways to prevent it from happening, none may be quite as thorough as Tesla.

The new Tesla software will give drivers the power to prevent their car from getting hotter than 40 degrees Celsius. The feature, called Cabin Overheat Protection kicks in for a 12 hour period after the driver leaves the car, although according to Jalopnik, a full battery could theoretically keep the overheat protection running for a year.

Considering how hot 40 degrees is, Musk is only viewing the current version as a temporary measure while the next update will introduce an always on version that lets you set the minimum and maximum temperatures yourself.

While this feature is a great step towards eliminating these hot car tragedies, it would mean every carmaker on Earth would need to integrate similar technology into their vehicles. Until then do the responsible thing and don’t leave children or pets or any living thing in a vehicle in the sun on a hot day. To be safe, try not to leave anyone behind ever.