The rate of continuous improvement at Tesla can sometimes be hard to keep up with. Just in the last few weeks the latest builds of the Model Y coming out of the factory in Fremont now have the new glovebox USB port, Tesla branded USB drive, laminated (double pane) windows, and auto-dimming side mirrors.
It looks like there might be at least one other hardware change that would be a little more difficult to spot.
According to Tesla hacker @greentheonly, the source code of the latest 2020.44.15 software update that began its release yesterday includes a new efficiency package for 2021 Model Y’s.
2020.44.15 firmware reveals that Model Y is also getting a new efficiency package MY_2021, higher range incoming?
— green (@greentheonly) November 20, 2020
According to green, the latest builds of the Model Y have some kind of new hardware (a change in the motors?), or will soon. Then at some point in the near future Tesla will unlock additional range via an over-the-air (OTA) software update.
This isn’t the first time the automaker has revealed an efficiency package through its source code. Earlier this year green found a similar reference for the Model S and Model X that first appeared in the source code of the 2020.20 software update.
