When people think about the practicality of electric cars, one of the first concerns is battery life, particularly given the ever-hungry batteries in our mobile devices.
On Sunday, Tesla founder Elon Musk promised to erase those fears completely, a claim that, if true, could boost interest among those worried about getting stuck in the middle of nowhere while looking at a blinking "battery drained" dashboard symbol.
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The news came via Musk's Twitter feed, where he promised to deliver an over the air software update that will "end range anxiety."
Tesla press conf at 9am on Thurs. About to end range anxiety ... via OTA software update. Affects entire Model S fleet.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2015
Musk says the update will affect the entire Model S fleet.
The so-called range anxiety Musk mentions is very real. In a 2012 survey conducted by Consumer Reports, 77% of respondents listed potential range limitations of electric cars as a concern.
If Musk's software update lives up to his claim to end those fears, it could have wide ranging impact in terms of consumer attitudes toward electric cars in general.
Tesla will reveal the details during a press conference on Thursday.