Following our report from last month, when Tesla’s President of Global Sales and Service Jon McNeill notified Tesla owners that an upcoming software update would remove performance restrictions, version 8.0 (17.6.15) has begun to roll out to affected vehicles.
Tesla.Mirai sent us the following photo showing the release note for the new over-the-air software update.
“Software performance reductions due to frequent max power usage have been removed. These reductions had been in place to proactively protect the powertrain from wear and tear. Instead, we will monitor the condition of the powertrain and display an alert if service is needed so we can take proactive steps, such as by replacing parts if necessary, to maintain the vehicle’s performance.”
The newest update is a follow up to McNeill’s response from last month, which states:
“Based on your input, we have decided to remove all software performance reductions tied to frequent max power usage. These changes will roll out with our next software update (in about three weeks).
We had put these reductions in place to proactively protect the powertrain from wear and tear. Instead, we will monitor the condition of the powertrain and let our customers know if service is needed so that we can take proactive steps, such as by replacing parts if necessary, to maintain the vehicle’s performance.”
The update comes as a relief to heavy-footed Ludicrous drivers who get their power back, but it does not eliminate the controversy surrounding the performance limiting measures. The question is just exactly what do the words “replacing parts if necessary” mean to Tesla owners? Who pays to replace those parts? Another question is how much information must Tesla disclose to the purchaser of a CPO or inventory car? For instance, if the vehicle had been used by Motor Trend to establish the all-time 0-60 record, should the buyer be entitled to know that?
Tesla gets a lot of publicity through Tweets and YouTube videos showing its cars with an extraordinary performance envelope. Shouldn’t owners be made aware of any financial cost that will fall on their shoulders if they take advantage of all that performance?
Though version 8.0 (17.6.15) removes power restrictions from vehicles, it now raises a question on how Tesla will communicate wear and tear experienced on vehicles subjected to heavy use.
