Kudos to joesfresco for originating this idea[0], but after observing Tesla for the last couple of months, they're really developing car hardware, as though it

Kudos to joesfresco for originating this idea[0], but after observing Tesla for the last couple of months, they're really developing car hardware, as though it was software, and it's continually winning me over as a better automobile "development" cycle. No car company has ever existed quite like Tesla, and I think this is almost the automobile 'iPhone' in the making. They've done three incredibly important things in this press release, that has taken me a bit to fully appreciate. First, they're the first car company that I know of that has offered serious vehicle improvements as a service, ever. Tesla is offering 40%-50% improvement on range. Imagine Ford coming out tomorrow and saying anyone can bring their cars in and we'll improve your MPG by 40%-50% for a few thousand. That's unreal. Second, to do this, they HAD to have looked at the possibility of just releasing a new and improved Roadster, with no upgrade kit. However, they not only actively made the decision to not do that, but to offer it as an "update" simply because they saw it as a bigger benefit to their users. This is a move on par with Tesla shipping the new hardware with cars coming off the assembly line, and then activating that hardware once it was announced [1]. Third, by doing this, Tesla, is training it's customers to recognize that Tesla's are a long-term investment. It's literally a punch right in the face of modern car manufacturers, letting them know that a new car every year is not the way we do business. They're saying that this car is not a product of a year of development, but a product of years of innovation and development. Suddenly, $70,000 for a car is a lot more justifiable if I know the manufacturer will be updating and improving my vehicle in 4 years still. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8556449 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8556449 [1] http://www.teslamotors.com/en_EU/forum/forums/autopilot-info-cars-delivered-w-new-hardware http://www.teslamotors.com/en_EU/forum/forums/autopilot-info...