Tesla Is Selling a Car Karaoke Machine
Trina Stroedecke
Technology Editor
Did the headline catch your attention? Well, unfortunately, we won’t be seeing an in-car karaoke system in the US anytime soon. This year Tesla rolled out the “TeslaMic”, a microphone used for karaoke that connects via Bluetooth to all Tesla models, however it is only available in China at the moment.
Announced during the company’s Chinese New Year software update, Tesla stated that the company will partner with brand-new karaoke platform Leishi KTV. Other Chinese based Electric Vehicles Xpeng and BYD have already began advertising their own in-vehicle karaoke systems, which include headphones as well as microphones. These other EVs use the same karaoke system provider that Tesla owners will be using, Thunderstone Technology Ltd.
While this may seem like a strange feature to some, karaoke is a very popular activity in China among its citizens. Last year, over 500 million residents used some type of online karaoke service in the wake of COVID-19 closing down many in-person karaoke studios. Before the pandemic began, you could find solo karaoke booths in malls, airports, or even libraries all over China. Ever since many of these public places were closed down and limited in-person activities, residents have been dreaming of the day they could once again sing to their hearts content. One of the features that these in-vehicle karaoke systems include are karaoke backing tracks with the lyrics displayed in typical karaoke style videos. Each TeslaMic package includes two Tesla branded modern-looking microphones which pair automatically with the infotainment system in the cars. It is $188 for a pack, but with more than half of China’s population owning a Tesla EV, and missing the lack of karaoke booths, this price tag just may be the price of happiness.
The full system was designed to be used by people sitting in a Tesla car when it isn’t moving, so they can sing to their heart’s content throughout a lunch break or on the side of the rode during a long commute. While this seems like a great innovation that could be enjoyed globally, it is yet to be seen is Tesla will ever release the TeslaMic outside of China. If it ever does, there’s a good chance that it will be able to be purchased with crypto currencies such as Dogecoin.
Contact Trina at stroedka@shu.edu