TESLA owners have been left furious and are taking legal action after claims that remote software updates from the US firm “cripple” range and cause battery failure.
Model S and X owners claim that over-the-air software updates can cut the driving range of their EVs by as much as 20%.
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According to Reuters, some Tesla drivers could be forced to replace their batteries, costing around £12,000.
The Model S and X owners filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the American car firm in California last Friday, May 12.
Steve Berman, the lawyer representing the Tesla owners, said: “Tesla owners and lessors are uniquely at the mercy of the maker of their cars, and Tesla imposes software updates without consent whenever their vehicle is connected to Wi-Fi.”
The lawsuit argues that impacted Tesla vehicles are “protected computers” under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and that automatic updates violate their rights under the law.
The lawsuit reads: “When car owners purchase their vehicles, they reasonably expect that unforeseen events — like weather, accidents, or flat tires — may impact the performance of their vehicles and lead to costly repairs.
“But no reasonable consumer would expect that the car manufacturer itself, through an automated system, would deliberately and significantly interfere with the car’s performance through software updates that reduce the operating capacity of the vehicles.”
According to Tesla’s website, the company’s vehicles receive regular over-the-air software updates – designed to add new features and improve existing ones.
In July 2021, Tesla agreed to pay £1,518,632 to owners over an update that temporarily reduced the maximum battery voltage in several Model S cars.
This comes after Tesla was forced to recall more than one million electric cars due to potential safety risks.
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