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Tesla Temporarily Boosts Battery Capacity For Hurricane Irma (sfgate.com)
Slashdot reader mikeebbbd noticed this in the AP's Florida hurricane coverage: Electric car maker Tesla says it has temporarily increased the battery capacity of some of its cars to help drivers escaping Hurricane Irma. The electric car maker said the battery boost was applied to Model S and X cars in the Southeast. Some drivers only buy 60 or 70 kilowatt hours of battery capacity, but a software change will give them access to 75 kilowatt hours of battery life until Saturday. Depending on the model, that could let drivers travel about 40 more miles before they would need to recharge their cars.
Tesla said it made the change after a customer asked the company for help evacuating. The company said it's possible it will make similar changes in response to similar events in the future.
Tesla said it made the change after a customer asked the company for help evacuating. The company said it's possible it will make similar changes in response to similar events in the future.
The crippled betteries are sold under cost.
The problem with that business model is eventually someone will figure out how to "jailbreak" their car and enhance the battery life without paying Tesla for the privilege. This will create all kinds of legal nightmares. Historically car owners have been allowed to "soup up their ride" (as long as the resulting vehicle is street legal), but with this new kind of business model that Tesla has, that could change. When you buy a car will there be an EULA that forbids making improvements? This could be a slippery slope.
If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
I wish we could leave it to the owner, but in USA, I'd expect owners to sue the manufacturer when the battery life comes up unexpectedly short because of the owner's abuse. Even if the lawsuits are frivolous, making such lawsuits go away becomes expensive. Given that, it seems prudent to me for the company to produce a device that works to some specific spec and the customer buys that specific spec rather than a device that the user can use how they want. Then if they jailbreak, they know they're voiding their warranty and any guarantees the manufacturer provided.