Tesla has announced an over-the-air update for its older Model Y crossovers equipped with just one motor. Called Energy Boost, it is a $1,600 range extension option available exclusively in North America.
Once purchased, the upgrade is automatically applied by the car, extending its range by a healthy 80 km (50 miles). $32 per mile sounds like a bargain in a range-restricted EV, but it is only available for select models. Some Model Ys out there are running on different battery packs from the rest. These can only get 48 km (30 miles) of range boost from the upgrade, but on the upside, it will cost $1,000.
According to CarBuzz, many Tesla owners have taken to the social media to express their frustration with the news. The prevailing argument seems to be that such upgrades – ones that don’t require any hardware modifications – should be distributed for free.