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Tesla is currently offering a software update for all S and X model cars following two recent large-scale battery fires. The automaker said it was publishing the update "as a precaution."
The live update will change certain parameters of the car's battery management software for charging and thermal controls, although the company has not provided further details. (The Tesla battery management system software is one of the best kept trade secrets of the company.)
The software update comes after high-profile fires in Asia. In April, an old S model apparently burned spontaneously while it was not used in a parking lot in Shanghai. The fire was caught by security cameras and the video quickly became viral. Tesla sent a team to investigate the fire, but did not release any discovery. Just this week, another Model S caught fire in a parking lot in Hong Kong shortly after the owner loaded the car.
The fires involving Tesla batteries have attracted a lot of attention in recent years, much to the dismay of CEO Elon Musk. He often pointed out the frequency of fires in cars with internal combustion engines, and claimed Tesla's cars are "over 500 percent * less * likely to catch fire."
But what emerges from the two most recent fires is that, unlike most of the 20 or so incidents Internal business Recently cataloged this date of 2013, these cars were parked when they caught fire. Vehicle fires are quite common after an accident and most of the Teslas fires occurred after violent wrecks (or in a few cases, some of the cars were reignited after an initial fire). But these new incidents involving the spontaneous combustion of the batteries of his cars seem to have triggered Tesla's action.
"As we continue our search for the root cause, as a precaution, we are revising the load and temperature management parameters for S and X model vehicles via a live software update that will begin to be deployed today. 39; hui. help to further protect the battery and improve its longevity, "said the company in a statement.
Fires in electric cars must be treated differently because they can not be extinguished with foam or other chemicals. Instead, they often need thousands of gallons of water to be extinguished. Tesla worked with the first responders to ensure they had the specific knowledge needed to extinguish battery fires.
The company has also requested software updates to help reduce fires at least twice before. In 2016, Tesla released a live update to "enhance the safety when loading" after the fire of a Model S in Norway. In 2013, Tesla upgraded the Model S's ride height while traveling at highway speeds to reduce the risk of debris forming in the battery pack. This update followed an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into several Tesla fires. The agency closed the investigation in 2014 after Tesla decided to add additional physical protection to its batteries.
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