Tesla Model 3 software update aims to address cold-weather problems
Owners complained about stuck charging doors and windows.
In climates a lot less sunny than shown here, Model 3 owners had difficulty with their cars' doors and charge ports.
As cold temperatures, snow and ice descend across much of the country, Tesla has released a software update to help improve the Model 3's winter performance. But we're not talking about actually driving in the cold, but rather with some parts on the outside of the Model 3. A new software update reportedly fixes some of those issues.
According to Tesla Motors Club and Electrek, owners were having trouble disconnecting the charging plug from their Model 3 in cold weather. Others reported issues with the frameless windows, which reportedly didn't always lower and raise automatically as needed when the doors were opened or closed. A new software update, dubbed version 2018.44.2, reportedly promises to address that, saying in release notes that, "Window position and charge connector locking behaviors have been optimized for cold weather."
The newer software reportedly doesn't "lock" the car's electric charging plug in place, meaning it's less likely to get frozen and jammed in place in cold weather. The update is also supposed to change how the power windows move up and down around the weatherstripping, also hopefully preventing stuck glass and difficulties getting in or out of the car. Tesla didn't return a request for comment about the software update.
Of course, cold-weather problems don't only plague Tesla: most drivers in Snowbelt states have stories of frozen locks, car doors that are frozen shut and so on. Fortunately for Model 3 owners, an apparent fix to their low-temperature woes was only a software update away.
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