Speaking to Benzinga, Edmunds.com Green Car Analyst John O'Dell said Tesla Motors Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk "is a master of media manipulation" in relation to the claim that the company will end "range anxiety."
O'Dell said, tongue-in-cheek, that only a perpetual motion machine or over-the-air charging could end such a problem.
The analyst expected the company would supply a software update that may revise the computer's management of the car's battery, which could alter the rate at which the vehicle consumes energy. Such an update may extend the range by reducing performance under certain circumstances.
O'Dell also suggested that the vehicle could be updated to provide enhanced alerts about the location of the company's supercharger stations.
Another possibility, according to O'Dell, was an update to alert drivers to the availability of tow trucks with on-board charging capabilities. Such a service could help reduce range anxiety in case the vehicle runs out of energy.
Whatever Tesla had in mind, O'Dell doubted that it would "actually ‘eliminate range anxiety.'"
Shares of Tesla Motors closed Monday at $195.70.
Kevin Riley and Brianna Valleskey contributed to this report.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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