Tesla helps folks escape Hurricane Irma by boosting the range of some cars

Tesla pushed an emergency over-the-air update to some cars in the southeast U.S., extending the electric cars range to help owners evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma. 

Electrek first reported on the news, and it was later confirmed by a Tesla spokesperson. 

Tesla could do this because some Tesla cars are sold with battery capacity locked to a lower figure by the car's software. For example, a Tesla Model S 60 only has access to 60kWh battery capacity, despite having a larger, 75kWh battery. Owners can pay for an upgrade, which can cost as much as $9,000, but Tesla offered the upgrade for free to everyone in the mandatory evacuation zone.  Read more...