A software bug, which can be solved with a simple update, reduces the effectiveness of the windshield defroster system, making visibility of the road potentially critical as well as preventing the passenger compartment from being heated
Electric Cars
There are just over 26.000, specifically 26.681, the Tesla cars subject to a new recall campaign in North America: of these only about 1% could be affected by a malfunction. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has in fact highlighted the need for these Tesla vehicles to intervene to solve a potential software problem that could lead to a reduction in the visibility of the windshield in particular conditions of use, with potential repercussions in terms of driving safety.
What happens in practice? A software error can cause a valve in the heat pump to open unintentionally and refrigerant to be trapped inside the evaporator, which can lead to reduced visibility at windshield level and reduced defroster performance. In this way, the windows would not be in ideal conditions, reducing the driver's visibility with the potential risk of an accident. Apart from this the car's internal heating system would also shut down, not allowing you to air-condition the passenger compartment anymore.
The recall refers to cars Model 3 of the 2021 and 2022 series, to cars Model S, Model X as well as Model Y of the years from 2020 to 2022: they are all models equipped with heat pump, combined with firmware version from 2021.44 to 2021.44.30.6. To address this potential issue a simple software update will be required, which Tesla will carry out over the air without the need to recall the vehicles to the workshop.
The recall concerns cars sold in the USA but it is obvious that the software update, as always happens in these cases, will be extended by Tesla to all cars potentially subject to the malfunction regardless of the market in which they were sold. However, it should be noted how this software bug occurs when the car is used in extreme climatic conditions, with temperatures at least 10 degrees below zero or lower.
