Tesla, you did it again.
I’d ask you to stop, but I don’t want you to.
If I walked up to you and said, “Tesla just did something awesome”—two things would happen: First, you’d ask me who I was, and why I was interrupting your movie (I’d tell you that’s what you get for watching The Legend of Hercules). After the awkward pause—ultimately leading to a head nod in agreement—you’d reply, “Well duh, that’s because Tesla is awesome.” And that’s exactly what the general consensus is: an awesome company that does awesome stuff. Innovative, forward-thinking, and just plain cool. But let me tell you—their latest trick does something I never would have even considered possible. [dramatic pause] They’ve brilliantly managed to blur the line between hardware and software. How? By using software to actually change hardware.
I kid you not.
There’s a difference.
Before I continue, let me clarify what you’re probably thinking: “Software updates already affect hardware—like when I upgraded my iPhone 5 to iOS7.” No, no, no. You’re almost there, but not quite. I’m talking about changing hardware. Look at it this way: When you upgraded the OS, did your broken power button suddenly start working again (you know, that evil little thing that always stops clicking after 6 months)?
Hint: the answer is ‘no’.
Problem solved.
So let’s look at how Tesla worked their magic. When claims were made that an overheating charger plug was leading to fires, the company used an over-the-air software update to detect charging problems. If unusual spikes were identified, the car would cut the current by 25 percent to avoid overheating. Sounds like a pretty good alternative to recalling 29,222 cars, no?
“What some may call a recall, we call modern technology.”- Jerome Guillen, Tesla VP of Worldwide Sales & Service
Wait for it…
Hold on a second—that wasn’t the ‘magic’ I was referring to. If anything, it was just a parallel to how we upgrade our computer or phone software to make the battery run more efficiently. I just wanted you to know how cool it is that a car can even do that now.
Here’s the magic: Last year—after three Model S’s caught fire in collisions—Tesla sent out their usual over-the-air update, but it didn’t do what one might expect. The update didn’t just modify the way the system ran, it actually changed the suspension, giving the car more clearance at high speeds. Yes, it changed things (Joker voice from The Dark Knight).
Imagine the possibilities.
Let’s go back to the iPhone 5 with a broken power button. What if the OS upgrade fixed the way the button protruded, thus solving the issue? You’d no longer have to take your device into the store for repair. Broken keyboard? Software upgrade. Faulty trigger buttons on PS4 controller? Software upgrade. In other words, no more recalls. The CEO even argues that the word ‘recall’ should no longer be used, since nothing is actually being physically recalled. Looks like the supply chain of information is finally taking form.
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