Tesla owners know that their batteries have a maximum capacity that can be tapped during an emergency. Last Sept. 10, Tesla, the Electric car company founded by businessman Elon Musk, increased the Battery Capacity for Tesla users in Florida to help them get to safety. Users were notified by email that there was an added mile per hour capacity to their existing battery.
In an email sent by Tesla to its users, the consumers were notified of an automatic adjustment that allowed them to access their car’s hidden capacity. According to the email, the additional power was activated to help them evacuate and to help them travel to their destination “with confidence and ease.”
During the evacuation period, people were seen lining up at gas stations to fill up their tanks.
Fortunately for Tesla users, the company also helped supply additional juice to help consumers during this difficult time.
Maximum Capacity
Based on the report, Tesla responded to a customer who asked for more power when he was trying to run away from the hurricane. The Verge reported that the driver was 30 miles short of power to reach the designated evacuation area. Tesla said that their Model X 60 D and Model S 60/60D are already equipped with a 75 kWh battery. However, they are designed to work at only 80 percent of its full capacity. That additional 20 percent power was what the company tapped during this emergency situation.
But having a secret battery power is not the most surprising fact.
According to Quartz, the upgrade was done with no cost at all to the users. Unlocking special features would normally cost a lot to users, but today, it was done in good faith and for free. Accessing the additional battery power usually costs $3,000.
Additional miles per charge
Tesla Model S and X are normally equipped with 60 to 70-kilowatt hours-battery that can run for 200 to 230 miles per charge.
With the update released last Sept. 10, the battery’s capacity was increased to 75-kilowatt per hour that can for about 242 miles. After the update was released, many users posted a screenshot of the notification they received. Based on Tesla’s email, users can enjoy their maxed battery capacity until Sept. 16.
Currently, Irma is devastating the southwest region of Florida disrupting power lines in the area.
Reports say that Irma is now a Category 2 storm with forecasts of 105 mph maximum sustained winds. Hurricane Irma is near east-northeast of Fort Myers and is currently moving north at a speed of 14 miles per hour.
