Tesla has recently launched Energy Boost, a $1,000 or $1,600 option for Model Y Rear Wheel Drive vehicles in the United States.
Elon Musk stated back in May that this upgrade package would be available in the future.
Energy Boost
Energy Boost is an upgrade that unlocks additional range for specific Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive vehicles, in the United States. The upgrade is done in-app, or in-vehicle, and is a software-unlocked range upgrade. To see if your RWD Model Y is eligible navigate to the Upgrades > Software Updates > Buy section of your Tesla app.
This upgrade can provide a range increase of 30 miles or 50 miles, depending on your specific vehicle’s battery chemistry. This means that some of Tesla’s newer Model Y RWD Standard Range models are just software-locked Long Range variants.
Range Increase & Cost
Recent Model Y Rear Wheel Drive vehicles are eligible for the upgrade – cars manufactured approximately in the January 2024 timeframe.
This Energy Boost upgrade will vary depending on the battery chemistry in your vehicle. It will increase your range by 30 miles ($1,000) or 50 miles ($1,600).
As the Canadian Model Y RWDs all come from Giga Shanghai, they are not eligible for a software-unlocked range increase.
Why Software-Lock Batteries?
Its definitely nice to see such an upgrade coming through, especially for those who could use the upgrade, but couldn’t justify picking up a Model Y Long Range at the time. However, there are some qualms behind this.
Historically, Tesla has made several models with software-locked range increases, but they’ve also sometimes installed software-locked batteries in battery replacements. However, there hasn’t really been any consistency with Tesla releasing software-locked batteries in the past as any offerings have been short-lived. It appears that Tesla makes software-locked batteries available only when there’s a very specific reason to do so as opposed to a long-term strategy. We saw a software-locked battery pack introduced in Canada years ago when there was a Canadian incentive for vehicles with a shorter range.
Tesla could also be using Long Range battery packs in SR vehicles if there are supply constraints, but at this point, it’s not clear whether Tesla will continue to offer these battery packs longer-term.
We’d love to see Tesla unlock some of this range – which is already included in the vehicle – for free when the battery degrades. However, this might be what they’re already doing – and it’s far too early to tell just yet.
Advantages for the Consumer
While it may seem wasteful to include more battery cells than required in a vehicle, Tesla will likely pick what’s cheapest for them to manufacture. If we start seeing a high take rate on software-locked battery packs, we could see Tesla continue the trend as it simplifies their manufacturing and creates a fleet monetization plan for Tesla.
There are numerous advantages to the owner of a vehicle with a software-locked battery. Not only can the owner charge to 100% daily without any ill effects, but it also gives the owner additional options down the road.
Someone’s needs may change, or they may want to upgrade the range on the vehicle after it sees some battery degradation or a variety of other reasons. Whatever, the reason, some RWD Model Y owners may have new options in their Tesla app today.
