Jordan Golson, writing for The Verge:

Tesla is selling a car with an “upgradable” battery. Only it’s not upgradable in the take-it-to-the-dealer-and-they’ll-swap-out-some-hardware sense. Instead, you give Tesla thousands of dollars to “unlock” hardware that’s already included in your car with an over-the-air software update. The Model S 70 includes a 70kWh battery pack that’s good for around 240 miles of range. For $3,000 more, there’s a Model S 75 with a 75kWh battery pack that gives an additional 19 miles of range from the extra 5kWh of energy storage. But both models use the exact same battery for logistics and manufacturing purposes.

To make this crystal clear, Tesla sells a battery that is artificially limited to 240 miles of range. Pay $3,000 more, you get 259 miles.

Two things leap to mind here:

First, this is the auto industry’s version of in-app purchase, the definitive upsell.

Second, can I make this purchase if I am on the road and run out of battery?