“Tesla press conf at 9am on Thurs. About to end range anxiety … via OTA software update. Affects entire Model S fleet.”

That’s a slightly cryptic recent tweet from Elon Musk, Tesla CEO – and it suggests great things lie ahead for Tesla drivers.

“What’s range anxiety”, you ask? It refers to the worry of running out of juice before your electric car reaches its destination, leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere with no means to recharge it. Kind of like that panic you feel when your phone starts running out of battery and it’s only 4pm.

It’s quite a big deal, probably the main concern of anyone who drives or wants to own an electric vehicle – besides price, of course. If Tesla really can end range anxiety on their Model S range as Musk says, it could have huge ramifications for the entire electric car industry and the future of transport in general.

POWER STRUGGLE

But to end range anxiety you’d need significantly longer driving range, and if everyone can learn from Tesla and achieve that, saying goodbye to fossil fuels might not be such a pipe dream. Drawing from the same smartphone example, imagine being assured of proper multi-day usage no matter what phone you use, allowing you to Facebook and Instagram with abandon.

Since it’s an over-the-air software update, it means it’s got nothing to do with there not being enough chargers, which is another bugbear of electric vehicle ownership. What Tesla’s probably done is maximised energy efficiency in their cars, extending battery life and providing further range. If it’s as much as they make it out to be, we’re in for a treat.

Source: The Verge