Tesla isn’t too pleased with select Model 3 owners modifying their cars for additional performance.
Not too long ago, Tesla released a $2,000 ‘Acceleration Boost’ option for the Model 3 Dual Motor. This feature, enabled via an over-the-air update, adds approximately 50 hp to the Model 3’s powertrain and helps it hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 3.9 seconds. As it turns out, though, not everyone is willing to pay two grand for the added performance.
In June, a company by the name of Ingenext out of Quebec, Canada launched its ‘Boost 50’ system that unlocks the extra 50 hp but costs just $1,100. The company’s upgrade also enables ‘Drift Mode’.
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Tesla has started to fight back against this ‘hack’ and, according to Electrek, those who purchased the upgrade have started to receive an on-screen notification that reads “incompatible vehicle modification detected.” The notification adds the modification has a “potential risk of damage or shutdown,” as the image from Reddit shows below.
While the car remains driveable, the notification remains on the screen. Ingenext says that Tesla patched their update of the driver inverter software, but they are working on a patch of their own that will enable customers to update and retain the ‘Boost 50’ upgrade.
Interestingly, this all comes just a few months after Elon Musk told Joe Rogan he was fine with people tuning their Teslas. It is thus a bit surprising that the company is now trying to prevent them from modifying the software – and very concerning to those that want to improve the performance of their EVs. After all, if you own the car, you should be able to do whatever you want with it, even if that leads to the warranty being voided.
