Tesla drivers want Elon Musk to activate cabin cameras for Zoom video calls
What if you could Zoom, but while driving in your Tesla?
Not content with the bevy of options to stream video, listen to music, and browse the net, Tesla drivers now want to transform the compay's electric vehicles into mobile offices. And with their sleek center console screens, the Model S, X, and 3 seem to be well suited for the increase in Zoom and other video calls during this pandemic.
A Reddit post from just before the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. saw one user bragging about holding a Zoom meeting in a Model 3. But as the poster and commenters noted, it'd be nice if the cameras already in the Tesla cabin could also be used for video in Zoom meetings accessed through the car's web browser.
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Some have even called for a camera to be added to the in-dash screen, with one person noting that "An internal camera for video chat would be awesome while driving."
As quarantines and work-from-home orders continue into May, the chorus for this request is growing stronger and getting louder. On Twitter, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is getting regularly pinged about Zoom or video chat support in his cars.
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A Zoom spokesperson explained in an email that making Zoom available in car infotainment systems is not the safest use case, especially since people would undoubtedly find a way to use it while driving. But like YouTube or games, Tesla could make video conferencing something only available when its cars are parked.
An email to Tesla went unanswered about Zoom or other video conferencing possibilities. But seeing as Musk's other company, SpaceX, banned Zoom over security concerns, don't expect to see video chatting arrive in the next Tesla update.
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
