Tesla launches $2,000 ‘Acceleration Boost’ upgrade on Model Y

Tesla is launching a $2,000 ‘Acceleration Boost’ upgrade for Model Y Dual Motor AWD vehicles — shaving half a second off the 0 to 60 mph acceleration.

For a few years now, Tesla started selling vehicles with upgradable software-locked capabilities, like 75 kWh battery pack software-locked at 60 kWh, or higher power outputs enabled through software updates.

Starting last year, they even made some of the features directly available through its mobile app.

It started offering a $2,000 “Acceleration Boost” for the Model 3 Dual Motor.

Tesla owners could unlock performance in their cars through a few clicks in the Tesla app.

Now Tesla is bringing the same experience to the Model Y with its own Acceleration Boost.

As of today, some Model Y Dual Motor AWD are reporting seeing the Acceleration Boost in the “upgrade” section of their app:

Tesla claims that the upgrade will improve the Model Y Dual Motor AWD’s 0 to 60 mph acceleration time from 4.8 seconds to 4.3 seconds.

The latest 2020.36 software update is required for owners to upgrade.

The capacity to accelerate quicker is already inside those cars. Tesla locks that capacity through software in order to reserve it for the “Performance” version of the Model Y, which can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

Model Y Performance is $10,000 more expensive, but it also comes with a faster top speed, bigger wheels, a lowered suspension, and performance brakes.

The Acceleration Boost on the Model Y Dual Motor AWD is a compromise that takes better advantage of the vehicle’s powerful powertrain without all the other upgrades that come with the Performance version.

As we previously reported, since the capacity is already there, some people have been trying to unlock it through hacking the vehicle’s software.

A company has been offering a module that unlocks the capacity in Model 3 vehicles for less money than Tesla’s Acceleration Boost, but they have been playing a “cat and mouse” game with Tesla who is trying to patch the unlock.