Hurricane Florence: Tesla unlocks additional battery capacity and unlimited Supercharging to reach a safe location

Tesla owners in the path of Hurricane Florence will benefit from free unlimited Supercharging and extended range (for software-limited battery packs) in order to help them reach a safe location. 

Above: Tesla Model S driving in heavy rain (Twitter: MKBHD)

Owners will get extended battery capacity and free unlimited Supercharging via Tesla's over-the-air update and the temporary perks will last until mid-October as the weather situation stabilizes.

Above: On-screen display of a Tesla charging (Image: Tesla)

If you've received the update you'll see the following notification on your Tesla's center touchscreen...

Source: NoT-RexFatalities / Tesla Subreddit

The notification reads:

We are temporarily enabling your car to access additional battery capacity, as well as free Supercharging, in preparation for Hurricane Florence. We hope that this gives you the peace of mind to get to a safe location, and will notify you before returning your car to its original configuration in mid-October. Badging on your display may adjust during this period. Safe travels!

It's important to remember that the 'additional battery capacity' will be enabled only for Teslas that have a 'software-limited' battery pack.

Above: Charging up at a Tesla Supercharger station as storm clouds approach (Instagram: pdespati)

Tesla (over a certain period of time) has delivered vehicles with larger battery packs at a lower cost to customers in order to avoid production complexities. This hidden battery pack capacity enables Tesla's electric vehicle owners extra range in emergency situations like Hurricane Florence — Tesla provided the same service to owners last year during Hurricane Irma.

Unlimited Free Supercharging also gives Tesla owners access to a virtually unlimited supply of "fuel" (or in this case, electrons). In contrast, gas-powered internal combustion engine vehicles typically struggle with long lines and high gas prices during hurricanes.

Above: Hurricane Florence's path (Image: maps4news.com / USA Today); Note: Weather conditions are quickly changing so check local news for updates

As noted in the chart (see above) predicting the path of Hurricane Florence — the hurricane will affect multiple states from South Carolina, parts of Georgia, Kentucky, Virignia and Maryland. Tesla owners from these states should expect to see the latest updates enabling free Supercharging and additional battery capacity. To that end, these helpful steps should ease the burden of thousands of Model S, 3, and X owners as they prepare for (and deal with) volatile weather conditions associated with Hurricane Florence.

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Written by: Iqtidar Ali