Tesla Model 3 Improves Brakes with Over-the-air Update

Not too long ago, the gang over at Consumer Reports took a couple of Tesla Model 3 cars and tested them on the track. They found that the Model 3 had the worst braking performance in its class, taking as much as the length of a full-size truck to stop from speed. That failure resulted in CR not granting the car its “Recommended” rating, which can be the kiss of death for savvy vehicle shoppers.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised that the brake performance could be improved with an over-the-air update. A skeptical CR promised to retest if Tesla could send an update to the car. An OTA brake update was something the publication pointed out had never happened in the history of cars.

Tesla made good on that seemingly far-fetched idea and CR retested. The result shaved 20 feet from the Model 3’s previously-tested stopping distance, and resulting in the desired “Recommended” rating. “I’ve been at CR for 19 years and tested more than 1,000 cars,” says Jake Fisher, director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, “and I’ve never seen a car that could improve its track performance with an over-the-air update.”