2015 TESLA MODEL S seats

2.Push the lever to release the head
supports from the seat back, then fold
back onto the seat.
3. Secure the Velcro strap.
4.Pull the strap at the rear of the seat to
fold the seat assembly into the trunk floor.
5. Replace the cover on the trunk floor.
Tesla Built-In Rear Facing Child Seats
Seating and Safety Restraints29

Seating a ChildThe Tesla built-in rear facing child seats arechild restraint systems and must only be used
for children over 37" (94 cm) tall and
weighing between 35 and 77 lbs (16.2 to 35.2
kg).
Always ensure the top of the child’s head
cannot contact the vehicle and that the child
is seated comfortably with the seat belts positioned and latched correctly. The child’spelvis must be held securely in place by thelap belt. Follow all instructions provided anddo not use supplemental child safety seats inthese seats.
Note: Whenever a child is seated in the Tesla
built-in rear facing child seats, it is
recommended that you set the climate control
system to draw outside air into Model S
instead of recirculating the air. This draws
more air into the rear seating areas.
1. Position the child in the seat with arms
through the loops of the seat belts.
2. Connect the two halves of the seat belt
tongue.
3. Insert the seat belt tongue into the buckle
and ensure it is securely fastened.
4. Adjust the shoulder belts so they run over
the top of the child’s shoulders and away
from the face.
5. Connect the chest clip and adjust it to be
as high as possible without causing the
shoulder belts to touch the child’s neck.
6. Pull the lower straps until the child is
securely held in the seat.
7. Slide the shoulder clips into place to
ensure the upper portion of the belts
remain positioned over the child’s
shoulders.
To release, press the button on the buckle,
release the chest clip, and separate the two
halves of the seat restraint.
Warnings - Tesla Child Seats
Warning: The Tesla built-in rear facing
seats are child restraint systems and must
only be used for children over 37"
Tesla Built-In Rear Facing Child Seats
30Model S Owner's Manual

(94 cm) tall and weighing between 35and 77 lbs (16.2 to 35.2 kg).Warning: Do not use supplemental child
restraint systems, including booster seats,
in the Tesla built-in rear facing child seats.Warning: Always ensure that the top of
the child’s head cannot touch the vehicle and that the child is seated comfortablywith the seat belts correctly fastened.Warning: Follow all instructions and heed
all warnings related to the Tesla built-in
rear facing child seats. Failure to do so
can compromise occupant safety.Warning: Read all safety warnings and
labels attached to the seats.Warning: Do not leave children
unattended in Model S, even if the child is secured in a child safety seat or a Tesla
built-in rear facing child seat. In hot
weather, the interior temperature can reach dangerous levels that can result in
dehydration, serious injury or death.Warning: Do not remove or replace the
fabric on a Tesla built-in rear facing child
seat. The covers are an integral part of the restraint’s performance and shouldnot be removed or replaced with any
other type than those supplied by Tesla.Warning: If the Tesla built-in rear facing
child seats have been worn in an
accident, they must be inspected or
replaced by Tesla, even if damage is not
obvious.Warning: Before allowing a child to ride in
the Tesla built-in rear facing child seats, check that the seat is securely held in theupright position by trying to pull the seat
back toward you.Warning: Do not remove the built-in rear
facing child seats for any reason,
including cleaning. To ensure safety of
occupants, removal and installation must
be performed by qualified Tesla service
technicians.Warning: Do not make modifications or
additions that can interfere with the
operation of the Tesla built-in rear facing
child seats.Warning: To prevent injury, ensure all
loose items (bags, luggage, etc.) are
secured. In an accident, or during hard
braking and sharp turns, loose items
could cause injury.
Tesla Built-In Rear Facing Child Seats
Seating and Safety Restraints31

How the Airbags WorkInflation of airbags depends on the rate at
which the vehicle’s cabin changes speed in a collision. The rate of deceleration determineswhether airbags inflate.
Airbags inflate instantly with considerable force accompanied by a loud noise. The
inflated bag, together with the seat belts,
limits movement of occupants to reduce the
risk of injury.
Front airbags are not ordinarily designed to inflate in rear collisions, rollovers, minor frontor side collisions, heavy braking, or driving
over bumps and potholes. Therefore,
significant superficial damage can occur to
the vehicle without the airbags inflating or,
conversely, a relatively small amount of
structural damage can cause airbags to
inflate.
If you are planning to modify your vehicle for
a person with disabilities in a way that may
affect the airbag system, contact Tesla.Types of AirbagsAdvanced
front
airbagsThe front airbags are
advanced airbags designed to
reduce airbag related injuries
to children or small adults who
ride in the front seats. On the
driver’s side, the front airbag
works with a seat position
sensor that adjusts the
inflation level based on the
seating position of the
occupant. On the passenger’s side, the airbag responds to a
sensing system in the seat
that determines whether or
not the passenger side front
airbag inflates, and optimizes
the inflation level based on the
weight of the occupant
(described below).Knee
airbagsKnee airbags and the front
airbags work together. The
knee airbags limit the forward
motion of the front seat
occupants by restricting leg
movement, thereby
positioning the occupants so
that the front airbags work
more effectively.Side
airbagsSide airbags protect the
thorax region of the torso and
the pelvis. They inflate only if
a severe side impact occurs.
Side airbags on the non-
impacted side do not inflate.Curtain
airbagsCurtain airbags help protect
the head and typically inflate
only if a severe side impact
occurs, or if the vehicle rolls
over. Curtain airbags on the
non-impacted side do not
inflate.
Airbags
Seating and Safety Restraints33

Passenger Front Airbag
Model S has an occupancy sensor in the front passenger seat that controls the status of theairbags based on the weight of the occupant.Passenger airbag status displays in the top
right corner of the touchscreen to indicate
whether the airbag will inflate (on) or not
inflate (off) if a collision occurs.
Note: The occupancy sensor system meets the
regulatory requirement of FMVSS 208 and automatically detects when inflating the
passenger front airbags would be unnecessary or potentially harmful.
Front passenger seat
occupancy*Passenger airbag
statusEmptyOFFInfant in child safety
seat (up to 20 lbs/
9kg)OFFChild or small
occupant
(20-100 lbs/9-45 kg)ON or OFFHeavy object/
occupantON*Values are approximate. Occupants whose
weight is close to the low weight threshold
can cause the status to occasionally turn on and off depending on seating position and
physique.
If the status shows the airbag as permanently
on, even when the seat is empty and the seat
belt is unbuckled, contact Tesla immediately.
To make sure the sensing system can
correctly detect occupancy status, eliminate
the following:
• Objects lodged under the seat.
• Heavy objects sitting on the seat (briefcase, large purse).
• Objects wedged between the seat back and seat cushion.
• Cargo interfering with the seat.
• After market items attached to, or sitting on, the seat (covers, mats, blankets, etc.).
These conditions can interfere with the
occupancy sensor. If you have eliminated the above possibilities, and the airbag status is
still incorrect, ask passengers to ride in the rear seats and contact Tesla to have the
airbag system checked.
Note: The front passenger seat’s sensing
system affects the operation of the passenger front and side airbags only. Other passengercurtain airbag is not affected.Warning: Never seat a child in a child
safety seat or a booster seat on the front
passenger seat when the airbags are
activated.Warning: Do not use seat covers on
Model S. Doing so could restrict
deployment of the side air bags if an
accident occurs. It can also reduce the
accuracy of the occupant detection
system.
Airbags
34Model S Owner's Manual

Inflation Effects
When airbags inflate, a fine powder is
released. This powder can irritate the skin and should be thoroughly flushed from the eyes
and from any cuts or abrasions.
After inflation, the airbags deflate to provide a
gradual cushioning effect for the occupants and to ensure the driver’s forward vision is notobscured.
If airbags have inflated, or if your vehicle has been in an accident, always have the airbags,
seat belt pre-tensioners and any associated
components checked and, if necessary,
replaced by Tesla.
In a collision, in addition to the airbags
inflating:
• Doors unlock and the door handles extend.
• Hazard warning lights turn on.
• Interior lights turn on.
• High voltage is disabled.
To restore Battery power, use the touchscreen
to manually power off Model S, then press the
brake to power it back on again.
Airbag Warning IndicatorThe airbag indicator on the
instrument panel remains lit if the
airbag system is malfunctioning. The
only time this indicator should light
up is briefly when Model S first starts
up, in which case it turns off within a few seconds. If it remains lit, contact
Tesla immediately and do not drive.
Airbag Warnings
Warning: All occupants, including the
driver, should always wear their seat
belts, whether or not an airbag is also
provided at their seating position, to
minimize the risk of severe injury or death
in the event of a collision.Warning: Front seat occupants should
not place their arms over the airbag
module, as an inflating bag can cause
fractures or other injuries.Warning: Do not use seat covers on
Model S. Doing so could restrict
deployment of the side air bags if an
accident occurs. It can also reduce theaccuracy of the occupant detection
system.Warning: Airbags inflate with
considerable speed and force, which can
cause injury. To limit injuries, ensure that
occupants are wearing seat belts and are
correctly seated, with the seat positioned
as far back as possible. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends a minimum
distance of 10" (25 cm) between an occupant’s chest and an airbag.Warning: Do not use a child safety seat or
seat young children on a seat with an operational airbag in front of it. Doing socan cause injury or death if the airbaginflates.Warning: To ensure correct inflation of
the side airbags, maintain an
unobstructed gap between an occupant’s
torso and the side of Model S.Warning: Passengers should not lean their
heads against the doors. Doing so can cause injury if a curtain airbag inflates.Warning: Do not allow passengers to
obstruct the operation of an airbag by
placing feet, knees or any other part of the body on or near an airbag.Warning: Do not attach or place objects
on or near the front airbags, the side of
the front seats, the headliner at the side of the vehicle, or any other airbag coverthat could interfere with inflation of an
airbag. Objects can cause serious injury if the vehicle is in a collision severe enoughto cause the airbag to inflate.Warning: Following inflation, some airbag
components are hot. Do not touch until
they have cooled.
Airbags
Seating and Safety Restraints35

1.Close
Touch the circled X in the top left corner
of a window to close it (or you can touch anywhere outside the window).
2. Sunroof
If Model S is equipped with a sunroof,
touch to adjust its position (see Sunroof
on page 15).
3. Suspension
If Model S is equipped with Smart Air
Suspension, touch to manually raise or lower Model S, or to remove a previously
saved auto-raising location (see Smart Air
Suspension on page 83). Model S must
be powered on and you must press the
brake pedal before you can change
suspension settings. Smart Air Suspension
causes Model S to self-level, even when
powered off. Therefore, when towing or
lifting, you must disable self-leveling (see
Instructions for Transporters on page 150
and Jacking and Lifting on page 132).
4. Driving
• Steering mode Adjust the amount of effort requiredto turn the steering wheel. Sport feels
more responsive whereas Comfort
feels easier to drive and park (see
Steering Wheel on page 37).
• Acceleration (Dual Motor vehicles only)
Choose an acceleration level. Sport is the standard level of acceleration and allows you to maximize driving range(see the Range Mode setting below).
Choose Insane if you want to increase
peak torque by approximately 50 per cent. If you choose Insane, the Range
mode setting, if on, automatically turns off.
• Creep
When on, Model S slowly movesforward when in Drive and backward
in Reverse when you release the brake
(similar to a conventional vehicle with an automatic transmission). You can
adjust this setting only when Model S
is in Park.
• Traction ControlTo allow the wheels to spin on a
standard single motor Model S, you can turn off traction control. On a dualmotor Model S, you can enable Slip
Start. If you turn off Traction Control
(or enable Slip Start), a warning
message displays on the instrument
panel. Traction control turns off for
the current drive only. On dual motor
vehicles, traction control is
automatically turned on again when the speed exceeds 40 mph
(64 km/h). See Traction Control on
page 54.
• Regenerative braking
When you release the accelerator
when driving, regenerative braking
slows Model S and feeds any surplus
energy back to the Battery. If set to
Low, Model S does not slow down as
quickly, but you may experience less range (see Regenerative Braking on
page 53).
Note: Regardless of the setting, the
energy gained by regenerative
braking is reduced if the Battery is
full, or if it is extremely cold or hot
(the surplus energy is used to heat or
cool the Battery).
• Range Mode
If on, Model S conserves energy by
limiting the power of the climate
control system. Cabin heating and
cooling may be less effective, but seat
heaters turn on to compensate. In
Dual Motor vehicles, Range Mode can
be turned on only when acceleration
is set to Sport (see above).
5. Cold Weather
If Model S is equipped with the cold
weather option, you can control all seat heaters as well as the heated wipers andsteering wheel. Heaters that are turned on
are displayed in red. To turn off all seat
heaters, touch All Off. Note that you can
also control the front driver and
passenger seats using the main climate
control panel located on the bottom of
the touchscreen (see Climate Controls on
page 80).
6. Trips
View and reset the trip meters that
summarize how far you have driven (see
Trip Information on page 69).
7. Displays
Controls
Using the Touchscreen75

Overview of Climate ControlsThe climate controls are always available at the bottom of the touchscreen. By default, climate
control is set to Auto On, which maintains optimum comfort in all but the most severe weather conditions. When you adjust the temperature, the system automatically adjusts the heating, air
conditioning, air distribution, air circulation, and fan speed to maintain your selected temperature.
To override these settings, touch Auto On (see Customizing Climate Control on page 81).
The fan, heating, and air conditioning systems are powered by the Battery. Therefore, prolonged use decreases driving range.
Note: The following illustration is provided for demonstration purposes only. Depending on
vehicle options, software version, market region, and settings, the information displayed may be
slightly different.1. The front seats are equipped with heating
pads that operate at three levels from 3
(highest) to 1 (lowest).
When operating, the indicator turns red
and displays the setting number.
Note: If Model S is equipped with the
optional cold weather package, you can
also control seat heaters in the rear seats
as well as heated wipers by touching
Controls > Cold Weather (see Controls on
page 74). When equipped with executive seats, you can control the seat and the
backrest separately in each second row
passenger seat.
2. Touch the up or down arrow to set the
cabin temperature (from LO, 63° F to
HI, 90° F/LO, 17° C to HI, 32° C). To apply
a temperature setting to both the driver
and passenger side at the same time,
touch SYNC TEMP on the temperature
popup that appears when you touch an
arrow.
3. Automatic/Manual climate control (see
Customizing Climate Control on page
81).4. The windshield defroster distributes air
flow to the windshield and operates the
heating and fan at their maximum level.
Touch once for Normal Defrost and twice
for Max Defrost. When on, touch again to
turn off and restore the air distribution,
heating, and fan to their previous settings.
5. Turn climate control system on/off.
6. The rear window defroster warms up the
rear window* for 15 minutes, then
automatically shuts off.
*If Model S is equipped with the optional
tech package, exterior side mirrors are
also heated.Warning: To avoid burns resulting from
prolonged use, individuals who have
peripheral neuropathy, or whose capacity to feel pain is limited because of diabetes,
age, neurological injury, or some other
condition, should exercise caution when using the climate control system and seat
heaters.
Climate Controls
80Model S Owner's Manual