It has recently surfaced in Tesla Motors Club forums that Tesla has released an urgent firmware update for all owners that were in the path of Hurricane Irma. The new update is meant to unlock the full capacity of the batteries found in vehicles with software-limited battery capacity.
Through the new firmware, Model S and Model X owners are now able to tap into the full capacity of the 75kWh batteries, in order to travel an additional 39 miles out of the way of the hurricane that has wreaked havoc across the US.
While electric vehicles, Tesla models included, have been thought to be less than useful in urgent situations, the update has actually made them more useful than internal combustion vehicles, as owners were not forced to wait in line at the gas stations that were not sold out of gas.
The software update released by Tesla essentially raised the operating range of the two Models from 210 miles to 249 miles, enabling owners to move out of the area once the evacuation recommendations were announced.
This having been said, it is important to keep in mind the fact that the increased range is only temporary. Tesla has admitted that the emergency firmware update was released in order to help the owners who were in danger and as a result, once the danger has passed(16th of September), the battery capacity will be reduced to its initial value.
Many may consider that Tesla has released the update in order to look after its customers, however, one cannot deny the fact that this initiative could also serve marketing purposes, as many Model S and X owners would agree to pay for the increased range. Regardless of the reason behind its actions, the company has certainly done everything in its power to help its customers in a truly difficult period.
