To be fair, that that is even possible is because they installed better, larger battery packs than were initially promised in the first place. Even if the buyer never pays for the 'extra' miles, they still get the benefit of improved responsiveness and less wear and tear on the cells that the larger pack brings.
Are you telling me you wouldn't be happy to get a better engine, for the same price, than what you originally agreed to pay for?
Because to complete the analogy, the new engine would have to have better acceleration and superior durability than what you thought you were going to get, even if you never once paid for any additional performance unlocks.
They are delivering a superior battery with more capacity and performance than what you actually ordered. The only difference is that they figure to make up the difference when eventually the car is sold back to tesla and then they can "activate" the extra part of the battery of the owner didn't already pay for the extra upgrade somewhere along the way and then resell the car for much more than what they paid since the car is now a couple models better.
But maybe I didn't want to the bigger battery in my car? Maybe I would have preferred a lighter car? Or I have some other reason I wanted specifically the small battery? Do I have the option to not have the optional-upgrade-enabled battery? Do I have the option to give the car back because it's not what I ordered?
I can only find one German article about it, maybe they were just throwing ideas to see how the public would react: http://winfuture.de/news,100802.html
> Which solutions are relevant for a brand like Porsche?
> We will increasingly offer functions “on demand”. That means that the costumer can buy new functions at any time if needed – including long after buying the car and, where applicable, only temporarily. Be it as a one-off for a fee, as a flat rate or as a subscription.
> Which functions do you offer on demand?
> For example, it would be possible to combine modules from the area of autonomous driving individually. Imagine that you could use a software update to download a few more PS over-the-air at short notice if you want to head to the racetrack on the weekend – or dynamic headlights if you are headed for a long night drive.
I read it on German news, and found the original quote, in a what looks like an internal interview of Lutz Meschke, Vice President of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board, Finance and IT. From their own website:
> Which solutions are relevant for a brand like Porsche?
> We will increasingly offer functions “on demand”. That means that the costumer can buy new functions at any time if needed – including long after buying the car and, where applicable, only temporarily. Be it as a one-off for a fee, as a flat rate or as a subscription.
> Which functions do you offer on demand?
> For example, it would be possible to combine modules from the area of autonomous driving individually. Imagine that you could use a software update to download a few more PS over-the-air at short notice if you want to head to the racetrack on the weekend – or dynamic headlights if you are headed for a long night drive.
