NHTSA complaint #11319735

Owner complaint summary

IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO DOWNGRADE MY TESLA MODEL 3 CONFIGURATION FROM STANDARD PLUS (240 MAX CHARGE LIMIT) TO STANDARD CONFIGURATION (220 MAX CHARGE LIMIT), I COULD CHARGE TO 239 CHARGE LIMIT. AT THE DOWNGRADE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE, AFTER THE SYNCHRONIZATION/CALIBRATION PERIOD TOOK PLACE, MY NEW CONFIGURATION OF STANDARD HAD A CHARGE LIMIT OF ONLY 207/208 AT 100% CHARGE, WHICH IS AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF CHARGING LIMIT OF 31+. THIS IS A 50% GREATER DROP IN CHARGE LIMIT THAN WAS AGREED. THE CHARGE LIMITATION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ONLY A 20 MILES DROP, BUT IT ENDED UP BEING 31+ DROP IN CHARGING LIMIT. MY BATTERY IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN GOOD HEALTH. THE METHOD OF REDUCTION IN CHARGE LIMITATION WAS ORIGINALLY COMMUNICATED TO BE A SIMPLE SOFTWARE LIMIT. HOWEVER, I WAS LATER TOLD THAT THE LIMIT IN CHARGE LEVEL WAS ACHIEVED BY ACTUALLY TURNING OFF CELLS WITHIN THE BATTERY BLOCK. IF TURNING OFF CELLS IS IN FACT THE METHOD USED TO LIMIT THE CHARGING CAPACITY OF THE BATTERY, THEN IT IS VERY CONCERNING SINCE NOT ONLY IS IT A FRAUDULENT REMOVAL OF CAPACITY - BUT A MUCH GREATER DROP IN CHARGING CAPACITY THAN THE CHARGE CAPACITY I PURCHASED - BUT IT ALSO LEAVES ME IN A SITUATION WHERE I CAN ONLY CHARGE TO 166 MILES TO MAINTAINING MY BATTERY'S HEALTH CONDITION AT THE RECOMMENDED MAX 80% CHARGE LEVEL. AT AN 80% CHARGE LEVEL OF THE NOW 207/208 100% MAXIMUM CHARGE LIMIT I WILL ONLY GET 166 CHARGE. AT 80% OF MY STANDARD CONFIGURATION I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CHARGE TO 176. IF I HAD KNOWN THIS ARTIFICIAL AND FRAUDULENT REDUCTION IN CHARGE LIMIT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSED I WOULD HAVE NOT DOWNGRADED TO STANDARD. THE CHARGE LIMIT ON THE NON-DOWNGRADED STANDARD PLUS CONFIGURATION HAS BEEN INCREASED TO 250 FROM 240. SO, TODAY WITHOUT THE DOWNGRADE MY 80% CHARGE LIMIT WOULD BE 200 INSTEAD OF 166 - A 34 CHARGE INCREASE - OR - A 43 INCREASE AT 100% CHARGE LIMIT!!