Elon Musk’s software expertise helped Tesla outsmart other automakers. While competitors may have to bring in hundreds of thousands of vehicles for recall repairs, Tesla can often fix similar issues through an over-the-air software update.
But according to a class action lawsuit legal action According to a software update filed in California on Friday, expensive batteries have drained or become inoperable for some owners. The lawsuit states:
“When car owners buy their vehicles, they have a reasonable expectation that unforeseen events – such as weather, accidents or flat tires – could affect their vehicles’ performance and lead to costly repairs. But no reasonable consumer would expect the automaker itself, through an automated system, to intentionally and significantly interfere with the car’s performance by rolling out software updates that reduce the vehicles’ operational capacity. But that’s exactly what Tesla did here.”
According to the lawsuit, Tesla’s automatic software updates without warning drained the battery in Model S and Model X vehicles and reduced range by at least 20%. “Car owners will be forced to pay a significant fee ($500-$750) to a third party to undo the software update so car owners can continue to experience the battery performance they had before the update,” it said in the lawsuit.
In some cases, the software updates cause “the batteries to become inoperable, requiring car owners to purchase a new battery for as much as $15,000,” it said.
In July 2021, Tesla agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle claims that one of its software updates temporarily reduced the battery’s charge speed, maximum capacity, and range for more than 1,700 Model S owners . accordingly CNBC.
Hagens Berman’s attorney Steve Berman, who is representing Tesla owners and lessors in the current lawsuit, said Fox News“Tesla owners and lessors are uniquely at the mercy of the manufacturer of their cars, and Tesla enforces software updates without consent whenever their vehicle is connected to Wi-Fi.”
The lawsuit further states, “Tesla owners connect directly to Tesla via WiFi from their home or business, and Tesla can then push software updates to the vehicles without an opportunity to consent to the updates or questions to the updates.” And the plaintiffs certainly did not consent to any updates that affect the performance of their vehicles.”
As Tesla states on its website, “Over-the-air software updates introduce new features and updates to your vehicle, making your vehicle safer and better performing over time.”
wealth reached out to Tesla for comment on the lawsuit, but received no immediate response.
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