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.
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Rendering of what Tesla's license plate feature could look like
Not a Tesla App
Tesla update 2024.38 has started rolling out to several regions and vehicles. Thanks to Tesla hacker Greentheonly, we have a behind-the-scenes look at some new features coming to Teslas.
License Plate Display
According to Greentheonly, it looks like Tesla may soon let you display your actual license plate in the vehicle’s visualization on the screen. In our article, The Most Request Tesla Features, several readers suggested displaying the vehicle’s license plate in the visualization instead of a blank, white plate.
It looks like Tesla will be doing just that, at least in China. Green found references that appear to conclude that you’ll be able to display your vehicle’s plate on screen. This will likely be user input, so you could have it say anything you’d like, and it doesn’t have to be your actual license plate.
For many owners, who may find it difficult to remember their license plate, this could serve a practical purpose in addition to adding to the visualization's realism.
While Green was only able to say it’ll be available in China, we expect this is due to China’s software development team working on it and that it’ll eventually be released worldwide.
While code for this feature was found in update 2024.38, we may not be turned on in China yet. We suspect this feature may be a strong candidate for Tesla’s upcoming holiday update.
FSD Hardware Version Display
As part of the 2024.38 update, Tesla has now made it easy to determine whether your vehicle includes Hardware 3 or Hardware 4. You can now simply navigate to Controls > Software and tap Additional Vehicle Information. In addition to other hardware information about your vehicle, your Autopilot hardware version will now be listed as well.
You can see whether your vehicle has HW2.5, HW3, or AI4. This in-car display is useful, but if you don’t have access to the vehicle, you can always use our guide on how to determine the hardware version of a Tesla.
New Battery Health Test & Service Mode Improvements
Green found some additional things as well. There’s a new and improved Battery Health Test. The new test will show you how your car scores compared to similar vehicles in the Tesla fleet.
In addition, maintenance records can now be permanently stored “in the car.” It doesn’t appear that this feature is activated yet, but it’s likely in active development with some parts leaking out in the 2024.38 update.
Tesla has included various Service Mode improvements and new visualizations in this update.
Mr Li on X came across some covered-up Project Juniper vehicles recently and he managed to get various shots of the vehicle.
Juniper Images
This front image reveals what looks like two rows of lights, possibly confirming the front light bar for the Model Y refresh — similar to the one on the Cybercab.
The rear side has a lot of lights on it!
Mr Li on X
The rear side shows a ton of brake lights, but it’s not clear why. While it looks like the Model Y refresh will also feature a rear light bar similar to the Cybertruck, there isn’t strong evidence of that in this photo.
Mr Li on X
There's an obvious set of lights at the bottom, so it looks like the Model Y refresh will be similar to the new Model 3 where the bottom lights can operate as brake lights when the one-piece tail lights and trunk are up.
Mr Li on X
In the last photo, we see that the overall form factor of the refreshed Model Y will remain unchanged, and Tesla is focusing the changes on the front and rear ends of the vehicle, much like the Model 3 refresh. However, in this one shot, we can also see what appears to be red light leaking out of the rear camera cover opening, possibly due to the rear light bar.
The Model Y is not only Tesla’s best-selling vehicle but also the world’s best-selling car in 2023. This year, it’s expected to be the best-selling vehicle in the United States and again in the world, so this refresh will be huge for Tesla.
@DominicBRNKMN made another fantastic set of concepts based on these new images. Given he had the most accurate Model 3 Highland concept before the official launch, we’re pretty sure his latest work be close here as well.
@DominicBRNKMN
We’re super excited to see the eventual reveal of Project Juniper, which is expected in the first half of 2025. However, expect to see a few more leaks before production kicks off at Giga Shanghai.
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