Tesla Says Software Update Will “End Range Anxiety” For Model S Cars

The base version of the Tesla Model S already gets around 200 miles to a charge and the 85kwh version can reach more than 260 miles before needing to be plugged in; farther than any other electric vehicle currently in production. But company founder Elon Musk is promising that a new software update will “end range anxiety.”

Musk made this boast via Twitter on Sunday, saying that more details are to come in a press conference this Thursday at noon ET.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/577100755427061760

Software in the Model S can be updated by the company wirelessly, meaning it can push out this tweak to customers over the air.

The big question is whether this update will actually alter how the Model S uses its electric resources to squeeze even more mileage out of a single charge. As the Wall Street Journal points out, it could be something as mundane as a system to alert drivers to the nearest charging station.

What we also don’t know is if Telsa’s Thursday announcement will address any impact this update might have on the upcoming Model 3. That lower-priced Tesla is supposed to provide 200 miles per charge when it launches. If the company could get more mileage out of the car, it would help Tesla to compete against the Chevy Bolt, which is slated to debut around the same time and for a reportedly lower price.

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