Following an error by Tesla, the owner of a second-hand Model S suddenly saw the autonomy of his vehicle reduced by 30%.
“Imagine getting out of your car to find, fifteen minutes later, that it has now a third less autonomy. » Scary, isn’t it? Well that, these are the words of Jason Hughes. A computer scientist whose series of tweets about his misadventure made the buzz.
Indeed, the vehicle of the man in question has therefore lost 30% autonomy in a few minutes, without touching anything. A bug ? A mechanical problem? A new kind of thief? what a baby, Nothing of the sort. It was actually a voluntary manipulation of the firm Teslain order to limit vehicle autonomy purchased by Jason. The Austin firm would then have demanded $4,500 to restore autonomy former.
Tesla tries to correct an error
Everything goes in fact from a Tesla error. The affected 2013 Model S would have been purchased with a 60 kWh battery. Indeed, Tesla batteries are similar, but limited by software according to the different autonomy offered. It is therefore possible to extend the autonomy of each car, for a certain cost.
However, on the vehicle in question in the story, the change would have been made by mistake by Tesla. This during a check. The firm would not have not relocked the battery at 60 kWh but at 90 kWh.
Tesla really fires me up sometimes.??
I have a customer who’s the ~3rd owner of a 2013 Model S 60.
At some point years ago the battery pack was swapped under warranty with a 90 pack. It wasn’t software limited. It was effectively made into a 90 by Tesla.
Years went by.
(1/*)— Jason Hughes (@wk057) July 25, 2022
Years pass, the car changes hands and in 2022 the current owner decides to update the on-board computer at Tesla. Once this is done, he returns home and receives a call from the company. ” They have remotely locked car softwareto be at 60 again, when she had been at 90 for years »testifies the computer scientist.
The story ends well
This do that the car loses 120 kilometers of autonomythat is “a third of the vehicle’s usable range, remotely and without warning”. At companies then asks for $4,500 to revert the vehicle to its old version de 90 kWh.
Which prompted Jason Hughes to speak on Twitter at the end of July. An excellent decision for him, since in the face of the outcry caused by the story, Tesla would have decided to put the Model S back in 90 kWh. All’s well That ends well.
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