Elon Musk has taken to Twitter to remind the world of one of Tesla’s most left-field features – the built-in Bioweapon Defense Mode. Which as the name suggests, can reportedly protect drivers from a bioweapon attack.

The mode, which was first added back in 2016 to the Model X and Model S, has flown under the radar of many in the industry – and often actual Tesla owners. 

Btw, your Tesla can protect you from a bioweapon attack https://t.co/ReKtRJB1Zf

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 11, 2023

Tesla’s Bioweapon Defense Mode system is designed to protect drivers from air pollutants outside of the vehicle – including bacteria and gases. 

Bioweapon Defense Mode is placed on top of the already built-in high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which Tesla says can capture 99.97% of particles.

The state-of-the-art mode is reportedly able to “positively pressurise the vehicle” which is reportedly similar to what is used in medical facilities.

“You can literally survive a military-grade bio attack by sitting in your car,” Tesla wrote in a blog post.

Tesla’s Bioweapon Defense mode has been joked about online, with some claiming Musk’s motor company was falling into “overkill territory”.

However, in January, it was reported that some Tesla users were using the 7-year-old technology to escape wildfire smoke in North America. 

First reported by Business Insider, Tesla users took to Reddit to praise the feature. 

One user posted: “I have used this a lot during California wildfire season. Works amazingly well.”

Another said: “Living in California I was so glad to have this in 2020. Our skies were orange for days no thanks to our wildfires. There were a couple times my wife and I just sat in the car in the driveway for a bit, to give our lungs a break.”

Tesla reported revenues of $81.4m for the fiscal year ended in December 2022, an increase of 51.4% over the 2021 financial year, according to research firm GlobalData.