Tesla has introduced an ‘Energy Boost’ upgrade for recent Model Y RWD owners in the United States, aimed at increasing the vehicle’s range.
This new feature is available in two options: a $1,000 upgrade that adds up to 30 miles of range, and a $1,600 upgrade that provides up to 50 miles of additional range. The variation in range and price is attributed to differences in the battery cell types used in the vehicles.
The upgrade, delivered through an over-the-air software update, can be accessed via the Tesla App by navigating to Upgrades > Software Updates > Buy > Energy Boost. Tesla is able to leverage a software update and an in-app purchase to let these Model Y RWD owners get increased range. Now that’s cool.
Back in May, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said, “the “260 mile” range Model Y’s built over the past several months actually have more range that can be unlocked for $1500 to $2000 (gains 40 to 60 miles of range), depending on which battery cells you have.”
“Working through regulatory approvals to enable this,” said Musk at the time.
When someone asked why not give this range for free, Musk replied, “we have to pay the bills somehow.”
Other software upgrades for the Model Y include the Acceleration Boost for faster 0-60mph times and also Full Self-Driving (FSD) upgrades.