I really wish the Mach E had a “Sentry Mode”

[SonicBlue]

I know, I know, the Mach E doesn’t even really have the cameras for it, but Sentry Mode might be the single biggest Tesla feature I’m jealous of.

These videos exploding on the internet of geniuses vandalizing Teslas are INSANE. I cannot believe people are so unhinged as to think destroying someone else’s property is the way to protest… cutting the government?! And taking out their anger on a privately owned electric vehicle? What the hell has happened to our society?

Now, granted, the Mach Es don’t appear to be targeted for the same abuse, but we’ve all heard stories about our cars getting screwed with, too. Particularly while at chargers. I may finally break down and buy a dash cam, but I’d like to try to find a solution that provides more comprehensive coverage. Anybody know of anything?

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[kens]

You might consider a four channel dash cam, powered through a battery backup so it doesn't touch the cars 12v when the car is off. The side cams could go in the little side windows behind the doors.

I've seen some three channel systems that give a pretty good view of the sides from an interior facing front cam, but I think you'd still be missing a good bit of the side view going that route.

 

[ponEpwr]

So the Tesla dudes just get a nice video of people vandalizing their car that they can show to their insurance company while filling a claim?

I get that it seems cool but it’s not stopping anyone from vandalizing a vehicle and unless it’s your neighbor, the police aren’t going to catch the person.

 

[SonicBlue]

So the Tesla dudes just get a nice video of people vandalizing their car that they can show to their insurance company while filling a claim?

I get that it seems cool but it’s not stopping anyone from vandalizing a vehicle and unless it’s your neighbor, the police aren’t going to catch the person.

Sadly, insurance claims probably aren’t gonna be financially beneficial for most of the victims, and certainly won’t come without cost to them or frankly all of us in rising rates. Most of this vandalism is gonna have to be repaired out of pocket unless the police catch the scum bags. But if there are enough arrests based on cam footage, there might be a deterrent effect?

 

[SonicBlue]

You might consider a four channel dash cam, powered through a battery backup so it doesn't touch the cars 12v when the car is off. The side cams could go in the little side windows behind the doors.

I've seen some three channel systems that give a pretty good view of the sides from an interior facing front cam, but I think you'd still be missing a good bit of the side view going that route.

Yeah, I’ve thought about that. I just don’t want wires running all over the place and I’m leery of pulling back trim and headliners and such.

 

[MonkeyNutz]

So the Tesla dudes just get a nice video of people vandalizing their car that they can show to their insurance company while filling a claim?

I get that it seems cool but it’s not stopping anyone from vandalizing a vehicle and unless it’s your neighbor, the police aren’t going to catch the person.

Yeah, doesn't stop people from vandalizing. Insurance is going to fix your car anyway. Minor incidents are often not worth the insurance claim and you can get a detail shop to fix it for you. The advantage to the cameras is that if you can see the people well enough to identify them and ultimately catch them, then maybe your insurance can go over them and you get your deductible back or the cost to have it detailed and paint touched up.

One would think that having cameras on your Tesla is a deterrent since everyone knows Teslas have camera. It doesn't stop anyone, both in my experience and from what we can see in all the videos online. It's like as soon as someone decides to do something foolish, logic just goes out the window.

I do want the surround cameras though and would love to have recording while I drive from all angles. Yeah, I can add it as an aftermarket solution, but what a pain. That's the one Tesla feature I will miss going to the Mach-E and that I wish I had in my Lightning and other vehicles. I have the front + rear FitcamX in my Lightning and it's OK I guess.

 

[SonicBlue]

Yeah, doesn't stop people from vandalizing. Insurance is going to fix your car anyway. Minor incidents are often not worth the insurance claim and you can get a detail shop to fix it for you. The advantage to the cameras is that if you can see the people well enough to identify them and ultimately catch them, then maybe your insurance can go over them and you get your deductible back or the cost to have it detailed and paint touched up.

One would think that having cameras on your Tesla is a deterrent since everyone knows Teslas have camera. It doesn't stop anyone, both in my experience and from what we can see in all the videos online. It's like as soon as someone decides to do something foolish, logic just goes out the window.

Exactly. But it looks many of these goons actually will get caught if the police put any effort into it at all. They’re either so stupid as to be doing it while out walking the dog (so they live nearby), or even dumber to be spotted entering or exiting a business with its own cams and likely a CC payment. The Sentry Mode cams provide shockingly clear video of many of their faces!

I suspect a spate of public arrests and mug shots might eventually have a real deterrent effect.

I dunno - I might look into a dash cam that has the option of adding additional channels. But it would need to be independent powered. No way in hell I’m gonna run that off the Mach E’s already overtaxed LVB!!

 

[ipca204]

Of all the things I "really wish" for.. sentry mode doesn't even make the top 1000.....lol

 

[E90alex]

As someone that still has a Tesla, it’s mostly just a waste of battery power. The cameras are such potato quality that you can’t really see much identifiable information.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

Sadly, insurance claims probably aren’t gonna be financially beneficial for most of the victims, and certainly won’t come without cost to them or frankly all of us in rising rates. Most of this vandalism is gonna have to be repaired out of pocket unless the police catch the scum bags. But if there are enough arrests based on cam footage, there might be a deterrent effect?

How do you figure that? My wife's Miata was broken into several times - people slit the rag top to pop the door open. Our insurance paid every time (minus the deductible), and it was definitely worth it. Rates don't get raised for comprehensive claims (at least in California - I can't speak to other states). Would it suck to have one's car vandalized? Of course, it does. But you have insurance for a reason. (I know that not everyone carries comprehensive coverage, but I suspect that most Tesla owners do. I say this based on the value of the cars.)

 

[SonicBlue]

How do you figure that? My wife's Miata was broken into several times - people slit the rag top to pop the door open. Our insurance paid every time (minus the deductible), and it was definitely worth it. Rates don't get raised for comprehensive claims (at least in California - I can't speak to other states). Would it suck to have one's car vandalized? Of course, it does. But you have insurance for a reason. (I know that not everyone carries comprehensive coverage, but I suspect that most Tesla owners do. I say this based on the value of the cars.)

“Minus the deductible” is doing some heavy lifting here. Not to mention the time, aggravation, and general douchebaggery of the situation. And no matter what insurers may say, even comprehensive claims are often factored in when shopping for a new policy.

 

[horsiedad]

Here's why I wished the Mach-E and Lightning had real-time video recording: https://www.youtube.com/@WhamBaamTeslacam. I watch even though I don't own a Tesla, but proves the value of having cameras.

 

[T1328]

These videos exploding on the internet of geniuses vandalizing Teslas are INSANE. I cannot believe people are so unhinged as to think destroying someone else’s property is the way to protest… cutting the government?! And taking out their anger on a privately owned electric vehicle? What the hell has happened to our society?

Others have given you some options Two points:
1. Before 2020, Musk moved was outwardly a left winger. He voted for Hillary Clinton, and for Biden in 2020. He met with Obama in 2013 to make sure the government mandates a move to forced use of EVs by 2035. Af that time, folks on the right were vandalizing Teslas and Tesla Superchargers because they didn’t want to be forced to drive EVs. Folks on the left called them terrorists.
2. Since Musk moved to the right, helped Trump get elected, did his Nazi salutes (whether intentional or not), actively supported AfD in Germany etc, now, it’s folks on the left, some no doubt who were calling right wing vandals “terrorists”, who are doing the vandalism.
It is a very sad state of society when folks on both sides of the political spectrum feel that it is an ok way to show their displeasure. It’s certainly though not party specific. Both sides have done or are doing this.

I also want to echo what some other former Tesla Owners have said. That Sentry Mode eats up batteries like there’s no tomorrow. I left it on at the airport, and my battery went down from 80% to 62% in one afternoon because of how many people walked behind my parked car with their suitcases. I had to turn it off remotely so that I’d have battery when I got back from the trip.

 

[EV Wonder]

I cannot believe people are so unhinged as to think destroying someone else’s property is the way to protest… cutting the government?!

I own 2 Teslas and don't condone the destruction of anyone's property, but I think it's more about a multi-billionaire who literally bought his way into the good graces of someone who wishes he was a multi-billionaire and then has gone about indiscriminately taking jobs from people and nosing around in personal (and personnel) records without showing any viable data that even hints at a good reason for doing so.

 

[T1328]

It’s worse than that. Even if one agrees that cuts to government spending have to be made, which I do, it’s about the way it’s done. The problem is that Elon is both doing it indiscriminately without understanding the jobs of the people he’s cutting, and possibly the bigger problem is how much he’s creating the perception that he’s enjoying firing people, by bringing a chain saw to a press conference in the White House, and just the way he talks about. He appears gleeful as he’s at best significantly disrupting people’s lives, at worst, destroying their lives. I don’t condone any vandalism, but am I surprised it’s happening? Not one bit. If Musk just did what he was asked to without gloating and celebrating publicly, perhaps with a bit more thought into who to let go, rather than blanket firing, there would be far less vandalism.

If he didn’t do what was perceived by many (including me) around the world, rightly or wrongly, as Nazi salutes followed by not apologizing, there would be less vandalism.
If he later didn’t tweet that Hitler wasn’t responsible for the Holocaust, but rather the govt employees working for him were (he deleted this tweet one hour in, but there are plenty of screenshots and the damage is done), there would be less vandalism.

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