In the case of the tesla, they're taking something good and just tuning it down.
I wonder how people would react if they did this with the next iphone - i.e. it only charges to 80% unless you pay for an upgrade.
I just wish I could pick these modes for my phone, especially if it's a non-repairable battery. My Lenovo laptop actually has something like this - it puts the laptop to sleep at 20% and only charges to 80%, unless I choose otherwise.
In the case of the Golf/GTI, there wasn't. The hardware is virtually the same in both, the only difference was ECU tuning. This is the same as the Tesla, it's not tuned up or tuned down... it's identical, just rolls off the line with a different body, accessories, and ECU.
>>In the case of the tesla, they're taking something good and just tuning it down.
That's exactly what VW and car makers have been doing for decades. And Intel, AMD, Western Digital....
>>I wonder how people would react if they did this with the next iphone - i.e. it only charges to 80% unless you pay for an upgrade.
Probably about as poorly as this is being received, even though it's been going on forever.
This is a thing in OBD2 ICE cars as well and has been for years, particularly the VW series of cars in the 2000s. The GTI had most of the same parts as the Golf but the GTI had an ECU "tuned" to maximize performance.
Hondas were not that much different, though not as egregious. The rise of Hondata and scavenging JDM parts overseas is a testament to that.
"Software" just feels different. But it really isn't, whether it's firmware (ECU) or a few extra holes/different tolerances in the machinery.