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[mf.luder]

Pretty sure you are breaking news if that is true. Or are you assuming?

Never thought of this but it actually makes sense. If this thing is supposed to be churned out at the pace they want there should only be 1 battery and every car gets it.

Probably the same way as in the unveil that they said autopilot hardware or something like that.

Interesting.

 

[Ruflux]

Maybe I'm missing something but isn't it a bit shitty to pay for a product which has been intentionally gimped with a software lock for no other reason than to get you to cough up more money to get the full potential out of it?

I was inclined to agree with this at first, but then I realized car companies already do this thing, and I don't mean like the BMW example above (locking head unit features away in software, everybody does that). I mean as in, putting the same engine in multiple cars and just flashing the ECU differently to reduce engine power and torque output on the cheaper models.

I know Volvo does this with some of their diesel engines, and I'm pretty sure if you start digging you'll find many more examples. It makes business sense so they do it. Sometimes they'll even sell officially sanctioned aftermarket performance upgrades a few years down the line.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

People are receiving the first Model 3s this MONTH? Where can I find the various configuration options and cost estimates? I want to know what I can reasonably expect for the cost of my specific model.

30 people total are getting cars this month. You have some waiting to do still.

 

[DBT85]

Think I'd be pissed off if I was lugging around more battery than I was allowed to use for no reason other than software. At least if my head unit has software blocks on it its not extra weight I'm carrying around for no good reason.

 

[mrklaw]

I have a friend with a BMW would be good to have the details of this software locking so I can share with him. He is all pissy about this whole battery thing and would be nice to shove this in his face. Link please? LOL

Eg http://www.drivingline.com/articles/jailbreak-how-to-unlock-hidden-features-in-your-bmws-onboard-system/

 

[Heretic]

One of the positives of having a software locked battery is that you can charge to 100% without worrying about battery degradation as much. So I hope they continued with that method of selling "cheaper" batteries. I imagine I'd unlock the rest of that range eventually.

Downside is if you unlock the extra range it stays with the car. You can't transfer it to another vehicle.

 

[ascii42]

Think I'd be pissed off if I was lugging around more battery than I was allowed to use for no reason other than software. At least if my head unit has software blocks on it its not extra weight I'm carrying around for no good reason.

That's what I was thinking. That's a fairly significant amount of wasted weight too.

 

[AstroNut325]

I have a Model S and Tesla started doing this about a year ago with all their cars. Its drastically simplifies the battery logistics since every car gets the same battery.

They even started doing "free weekends" where Tesla will unlock the software upgrade for you for a weekend to try and entice you to pay for the permanent upgrade. Tesla will even send you the new badge for the back of the car after you pay for the upgrade...

Here's a demo of someone doing the upgrade. http://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-s-60d-battery-range-upgrade-75d/

Whoa. This gives me hope that I can get a base Model 3 with premium trim and work my way up to features and stuff later.

 

[Dazza]

At least with those it's generally due to manufacturers only wanting to promise the minimum performance the GPU/CPU is safely capable of, instead of overclocking it from the get go and having a larger portion of chips failing. You don't have software limiting what is essentially a 1060 to 1050 levels pending an additional upgrade fee.

Actually battery unlocking is very similar to this. You have a far smaller failure rate and greater longevity from undercharging a Lithium battery, so limiting a battery from only 25%-90% will result in less returns for Telsa. Many people change their smartphone and laptop charging limits to achieve the same result

 

[KeRaSh]

One of the positives of having a software locked battery is that you can charge to 100% without worrying about battery degradation as much. So I hope they continued with that method of selling "cheaper" batteries. I imagine I'd unlock the rest of that range eventually.

I'd be extremely happy if they software locked the battery. Someone might not be able to afford the upgrade on day one but a year or two down the line they free up some cash and can then upgrade their battery.
Imagine you bought a BMW 116i and a few years later decide you want a little more performance. Good luck upgrading that to a 120i via a software update.
This would be a 100% plus in my books. Unfortunately due to the low margins of the Model 3 I'm fairly sure that they won't be going this route.

 

[GTI Guy]

Looks like we shall get the full reveal on 07/28 at 9pm PST.

https://www.teslarati.com/teslas-model-3-delivery-event-fremont-factory-7pm-july-28-musk-9pm/

First invitations to attend Tesla's Model 3 delivery event have been sent by the Silicon Valley electric car giant. The highly anticipated ”handover party" will take place on Friday, July 28 at its Fremont, California factory.

Those invited to the exclusive event will witness the first thirty deliveries of Tesla's Model 3 to their owners. This will be similar in nature to the Model X delivery event that was also held at its Fremont facility, where six early

Tesla backers were handed keys to their new Falcon Winged electric SUV.

Unlike other Tesla ”parties", some invitees to the Model 3 delivery event are being offered a generous option to invite multiple guests based on their standings in Tesla's past referral programs. For instance, one of Tesla's top referrers DÆrik tells Teslarati that they received an option to invite up to 3 guests.

Doors open at the event beginning at 7pm Pacific Time. Tesla CEO Elon Musk will present opening remarks beginning at 9pm PT.