Here's how the Tesla Model Y can gain an extra 60 miles of range

All it takes is a software update to increase the net battery capacity of the rear-wheel drive version. It will cost between £1,200 and £1,600.

Tesla Model Y

By: Francesco Barontini

Published by: Brian Potter

May 10, 2024 at 4:03am ET

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Tesla does a bit of what it wants with software. Over the years, it has demonstrated that it can intervene in a large number of parameters, including the powertrain, battery management and system efficiency. And it's about to do the same today.

Elon Musk has said that the company can change the battery management and give the Model Y more range simply by modifying the software that controls the operation of the cells. Let's take a look at the details.

Up to 60 miles of extra range

The fact is that all electric car batteries have a greater capacity than that stated (and actually made available). This difference is determined by the designers in order to preserve the health of the cells for longer.

And that's where we come back to Tesla. According to Elon Musk, on the rear-wheel drive (RWD) Model Y, the one equipped with a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, drivers will be able to buy a software update that will increase the net capacity and thus gain between 40 and 60 miles of range. This is a considerable advantage when you consider that the car currently has a range of 283 miles. The increase in range would be in the region of 20%, or 12 to 18 kWh.

Tesla Model Y in Midnight Cherry Red: The exterior

Costs between £1,200 and £1,600

It had already been suggested in the past that the battery on the Model Y RWD might be more powerful than the one actually on offer. However, as this is a different battery from the one used by the rest of the range (it also powers the Model 3 RWD) and is supplied by BYD, a company with which Tesla does not have a long-standing relationship, a more conservative approach has been chosen.

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After carrying out all the appropriate assessments, it was decided to slim down this buffer, which represents the difference between gross capacity and net capacity, in favour of the amount of energy that the battery can actually store and, ultimately, the battery itself.