Tesla Unlocks Battery Life For Florida Owners During Hurricane Irma

Tesla has issued a free temporary software update that unlocks additional battery power for Tesla car owners looking to evacuate Florida as Hurricane Irma approaches the state.

Over the past few days, users on social media and Tesla forums have reported seeing additional mileage on their Tesla cars than previously expected. On reddit, Florida-based user Ludachris9000 posted an image of his Tesla app that showed a higher than normal mileage range for his Tesla. The update will add an additional 30 to 40 miles of range for Tesla cars, according to Electrek.

Many of Tesla’s 2016 Model X and Model S-series vehicles were built with 75 kilowatt-hour batteries that were software-locked down to 60 to 75-kilowatt hours. At the time, Tesla’s vehicle pricing model would let users pay $3,000 to unlock the additional battery power, but the company has since discontinued the lower-range Model S and Model X series.

In a letter to Florida Tesla owners, Tesla confirmed it had issued the temporary battery update, which will run until Sept. 16.

We at Tesla hope that you and your loved ones are safe while preparing for the hurricanes approaching Florida.

Due to these exceptional circumstances, and to help you better prepare to evacuate and get to safety, your vehicle has been adjusted at no cost to you to temporarily access the additional battery capacity until September 16th. You will notice the badging on the instrument cluster will read 75 during this period. We hope that this allows you to travel to your next destination with confidence and ease.