Tesla gives hurricane-zone car owners free upgrade for longer range
Tesla on Friday gave owners of its cars in Florida, if possible, free upgrades to the maximum range through software. This is to help them get out of the evacuation area before Hurricane Irma hits the state.
It concerns the Tesla Model S and X and of these the 60 and 60D, equipped with a 75 kWh battery. Tesla offered these models with a software limitation at 60kWh. They were cheaper. There is the option to upgrade the capacity to the full 75kWh for a fee, increasing the maximum range by approximately 64 kilometers. By using an artificial capacity limitation, Tesla did not have to actually produce a 60 kWh battery, which would be more expensive for Tesla, despite the customer also paying less for it. The upgrade costs $500 to $4500, depending on the model.
Tesla owners are reporting the extra mileage and the presence of a ’75’ logo on the heads-up display instead of the ’60’ logo they always had, according to Electrek. Tesla has released the extra capacity through an over-the-air update. That would be temporary. A company spokesperson also confirmed this. The decision was made after a Tesla owner in Florida called for a temporary, free upgrade because he wouldn’t be able to get out of the evacuation zone.
More than 6.5 million Florida residents have been asked to evacuate by the state governor. Many people are also heeding this, leading to long traffic jams on the roads northbound and also long lines at gas stations. The hurricane will make landfall in the US state on Sunday.