Is Tesla’s Dog Mode Legal in France? (Video)

A Tesla feature allows you to cool the cabin in the absence of the owner for animals. But what does the law say?

Let’s immediately discard the legal aspect with regret: it is not illegal in France to leave your dog or any other pet inside your car as long as they have enough fresh and pure air and the vehicle is parked in the shade. Of course, this does not apply to a child!

Conversely, if these conditions are not met, Article R.654-1 of the Penal Code considers this as mistreatment of a domestic animal. An offense punishable by a fine of €750.

To prevent this situation, but also because laws differ in the United States, Tesla has introduced a “Dog Mode,” a feature that maintains the temperature at a preset level set by the driver.

At the same time, an information message appears on the central display indicating that the owner will be back very soon. We can therefore conclude that Dog Mode is perfectly legal, or even commendable, in France.

However, beware: a completely foolish trend is developing across the Atlantic. Thanks to autonomous driving, viral videos of dogs sitting in the driver’s seat are flooding social media. These reckless behaviors highlight the recklessness of some Tesla owners and drivers.

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