Tesla is doing something unique and peculiar to ensure the safety of their cars during shipping. They have started delivering cars with less range for safety reasons. But here's the strange part: Tesla's message to customers about this change is vague and doesn't provide many details.
According to a Reddit user named u/W-001, Tesla sent an email to customers when their car was about to be delivered. The email said that due to a new industry policy, the vehicle had to be shipped with a maximum 50% charge. This means that the Model 3 being delivered might have a lower charge than usual when the customer picks it up.
To make up for the inconvenience, Tesla offered customers 150 km of free Supercharging. This Supercharging credit could be redeemed a few days after delivery in the Tesla app.
The message from Tesla doesn't explain what the "industry standard" is or where it applies. However, it seems like this standard is outside the United States because the message uses kilometers instead of miles. The original Reddit poster confirmed this by mentioning that they were receiving a Rear-Wheel-Drive Model 3 from China.
According to another user on the r/TeslaMotors subreddit, this policy is a Chinese standard. In China, vehicle companies are required to deliver electric cars with less range to reduce the risk of accidents.
Several websites that provide information about shipping batteries from China state that lithium-ion batteries should be shipped at or below 30% state of charge. This information is based on the standards set by the UN Department of Transportation, specifically in section 38.3.
It's worth noting that there might be exceptions to this rule, but they have to be approved by the Chinese government.
Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.
