Changes made to battery thermal and charging controls
The update will alter some of the settings in the battery management software that are related to charging and thermal controls but the company did not release any detail. The Tesla battery manage system is a closely guarded feature.
Recent fires
There were two fires in Asia that received much publicity. In April an older Model S apparently caught fire spontaneously while simply sitting unused in a parking structure in Shanghai. The fire could be seen on security camera and the footage went viral on social media. Tesla sent a team to investigate the fire but has not released any findings. Then this week, another Model S caught fire in a Hong Kong parking lot shortly after the owner had charged it.
Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, has been very much upset by the fires happening in Tesla vehicles. He says that are fires in regular cars are much more common and has claimed that Tesla vehicles are “over 500 percent less likely to catch fire”. He does not provide sources for his claims.
Business Insider recently reported on roughly 20 incidents with Tesla vehicles catching fire since 2013. However, what stands out with the recent two mentioned is that the cars were actually parked and not running when they caught fire. Most Tesla fires as with other vehicles happen after a severe crash. These fires appear to have been a result of the batteries spontaneously starting a fire and have resulted in Tesla’s quick action.
A company statement said: “As we continue our investigation of the root cause, out of an abundance of caution, we are revising charge and thermal management settings on Model S and Model X vehicles via an over-the-air software update that will begin rolling out today, to help further protect the battery and improve battery longevity”
Tesla has pushed software updates to curb fires before
In 2016 Tesla released an update to provide extra security during charging after a Model S caught fire in Norway. Back in 2013 Tesla raised the Model S traveling speed when it was traveling at highway speeds in order to lessen the risk of debris puncturing the battery pack. This update came after an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated a number of Tesla fires. The investigation closed after Tesla added more physical protection to its battery packs.
Tesla is also having problems with its autopilot system
A recent Verge article notes: “Tesla’s advanced driver assist system, Autopilot, was active when a Model 3 driven by a 50-year-old Florida man crashed into the side of a tractor-trailer truck on March 1st, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) states in a report released on Thursday. Investigators reviewed video and preliminary data from the vehicle and found that neither the driver nor Autopilot “executed evasive maneuvers” before striking the truck.The driver, Jeremy Beren Banner, was killed in the crash. It is at least the fourth fatal crash of a Tesla vehicle involving Autopilot.”
