With thousands trying to escape danger caused by the impending Hurricane Irma, Tesla is doing its best to help customers drive just a little bit further.
Spotted by Redditors and confirmed by Eletrek, the electric car company upgraded those Model S and Model X owners who use 60kWh battery packs to unleash the full power of the battery that’s actually 75kWh.
That means customers with those Tesla models who are trying to drive away from the hurricane can travel further (approximately 30-40 more miles) on the same battery.
As TechCrunch explains, “Up until a few months ago, Tesla sold a 60kWh version of its Model S and Model X vehicles—but the battery in those cars was actually rated at 75kWh. The thinking: Tesla could offer a more affordable 60kWh version to those who didn’t need the full range of the 75kWh battery—but to keep things simple, they’d just use the same 75kWh battery and lock it on the software side. If 60kWh buyers found they needed more range and wanted to upgrade later, they could … or if Tesla wanted to suddenly bestow owners with some extra range in case of an emergency, they could.”
Redditor Ludachris9000 might have been the first to notice.
And here’s the email Ludachris9000 said he received from Tesla.
However, the 15kWh upgrade—which normally would cost between $4,500-$9,000—is only temporary and is scheduled to be available through Sept. 16.
H/T TechCrunch