Tesla Acceleration Boost: A Complete Guide

By Jorge Aguirre
Tesla offers Long Range model owners the ability to increase their vehicle's performance
Tesla offers Long Range model owners the ability to increase their vehicle's performance
The Kilowatts/Twitter

If you haven't driven a Tesla, you might not be familiar with the rollercoaster-like feeling of going from 0 to 60 mph. The Long Range Model 3, for example, can accomplish this in 4.2 seconds as-is. All Teslas pull you off the line almost instantly and are already quicker than most internal combustion engine vehicles.

What if, though, you could increase the speed of your Tesla even more? We break down what Tesla's Acceleration Boost is, and whether it's worth the price tag.

What Does Tesla's Acceleration Boost Do?

If you drive a Long Range Model 3 or Model Y, you may be able to purchase the 'Acceleration Boost' upgrade that increases your vehicle's acceleration and lowers your 0-60 time.

The Tesla Model 3 Long Range already has an acceleration from 0 to 60 mph time of about 4.2 seconds. With Acceleration Boost, Tesla claims that time is reduced to 3.7 seconds.

The Tesla Model Y Acceleration Boost shaves off half a second on the vehicle’s 0 to 60 mph time, dropping its run from 4.8 seconds down to 4.3 seconds.

It’s worth highlighting that these are the only two vehicles that are eligible to purchase this upgrade. When Tesla first started delivering the new Model Ys with the 4680 cells, owners of the Standard version were able to upgrade, but the company has since removed this option.

Acceleration Boost vs Performance Times

While Acceleration Boost will give you a very noticeable boost in all performance aspects, it will not turn your vehicle into a Performance model.

Here are the 0 to 60 mph time comparisons between the Long Range model, Long Range with Acceleration Boost and Performance models.

Model Long Range Acceleration Boost Performance
Model 3 4.2 seconds 3.7 seconds 3.1 seconds
Model Y 4.8 seconds 4.3 seconds 3.5 seconds

As you can see from the table above, a Long Range model with the Acceleration Boost upgrade falls roughly between a Performance model and the Long Range model in terms of acceleration.

An owner independently tests out Tesla's Acceleration Boost
An owner independently tests out Tesla's Acceleration Boost
MagnusMako/Tesla Motors Club

The graph above was created by an independent owner and displays the vehicle's performance from 0 to 10, 0 to 20, 0 to 30 and 0 to 60 mph after purchasing Tesla's Acceleration Boost. From the graph we can see how the vehicle's acceleration rate remains fairly constant from 0 all the way to 60 mph.

Does Acceleration Boost Add Track Mode?

Track Mode is a feature that is exclusive to Performance models. It allows you to adjust how your vehicle handles and performs. For example, it allows you to adjust features that may be useful on a track, such as adjusting the motor bias from front to rear, reducing traction control or adjusting vehicle cooling.

Although vehicles with Acceleration Boost have better performance than their Long Range counterparts, they do not include Tesla's Track Mode feature.

Is Acceleration Boost Worth It?

While the Acceleration Boost update can be a costly one at $2,000, it unquestionably gives drivers acceleration capabilities that are comparable to those of the Performance model.

According to Tesla drivers who have purchased the upgrade, the actual acceleration boost is quite notable and affects all speeds, not just 0-60 mph.

On the other hand, your Model 3 or Model Y's quick acceleration will result in quicker tire wear. Additionally, it can result in decreased efficiency, which results in higher ownership costs. However, this does depend on the individual and how often they take advantage of the speed boost.

Performance models are usually quite a bit more expensive than the Long Range models, so in terms of value, the Acceleration Boost upgrade is a good deal that will increase the vehicle's value. If you own your vehicle, you'll also likely recoup some of the upgrade's cost if/when you decide to sell the car or trade it in at some point in the future.

Cost and How to Purchase

The price for Acceleration Boost hovers around USD 2,000, depending on your region and local tax rate. Owners can conveniently purchase the upgrade directly from their Tesla app, or through Tesla's website.

To purchase or see if the upgrade is available for your vehicle, open the Tesla app and navigate to the Upgrades section.

Then tap on Software Upgrades and if the feature is available for your Tesla you will see Acceleration Boost listed.

If you'd like to purchase the upgrade, make sure your vehicle is in Park and connected to Wi-Fi or has a strong cellular connection so that the vehicle can download an updated configuration.

You can add the Acceleration Boost upgrade to your cart and follow the payment instructions. 

The upgrade is a one-time payment that can be made with a credit card, debit card, or Apple Pay. However, it is not possible to add the cost of the upgrade to your lease or vehicle loan payments.

Once the payment has been processed, the update should only take a few minutes to show up in your vehicle.

How to Check if Your Vehicle Has Acceleration Boost

Once you've made the purchase, you can confirm that you have received the upgrade by tapping on Controls (car icon) and navigating to Software. Below your vehicle's image, you'll see a list of features, including possible features like Full Self-Driving, Premium Connectivity and more.

If your car has received the upgrade, you should now see Acceleration Boost listed.

In addition to the upgrade appearing under the Software tab, you can also navigate to the Pedals & Steering section and your acceleration choices will now be 'Chill' and 'Sport,' instead of the previous options of 'Chill' and 'Standard.'

Your vehicle should now be noticeably faster.

You can navigate to Controls then Software to see if your vehicle is equipped with the Acceleration Boost feature
An owner independently tests out Tesla's Acceleration Boost
Smvarg/Medium

Is there an Acceleration Boost Trial?

Although not formally promoted as a trial period, Tesla does provide you the chance to get a refund for your original purchase within 48 hours of purchase, if you change your mind or the upgrade didn't meet your expectations.

It is not possible, however, to receive another refund if you re-purchase the Acceleration Boost upgrade at a later time. Any future purchases for Acceleration Boost will be final.

The Acceleration Boost upgrade might be worthwhile for you if you frequently travel on long, open highways or appreciate experiencing the acceleration surge when you depress the pedal. But if you use your Tesla for routine activities like grocery shopping or being stuck in traffic on the way to and from work, it might not be the best bang for your buck.

However, if you initially had your eye on the Performance model and ultimately decided on the Long Range version, Acceleration Boost is a great way to get closer to the performance of the higher-end trim.

Tesla’s Hollywood Diner: In-Car Controls & Theater Screens Turned On [VIDEO]

By Karan Singh
Sky Fox

Tesla has been quietly building something pretty unique on the streets of Hollywood—and we’ve been keeping a close eye on it. That’s right: the long-anticipated Tesla Hollywood Drive-In, Diner, and Supercharger is shaping up to be one of the most creative approaches to EV charging yet.

But this isn’t your average Supercharger site. It features a retro-futuristic, 24-hour diner and an outdoor movie theater, blending the charm of the 1980s with the tech-forward vibe of the 2020s.

Construction has been underway for quite some time, with the Cybertruck-inspired stainless steel structure going up around mid-2024. And more recently, we spotted hints in the Tesla app that the Diner’s debut is getting close.

Diner Controls in App / Car

Tesla hacker Greentheonly managed to spot some new evidence of changes within Tesla’s 2025.8.6 software build, which includes a new modal for “Charger Diner Controls”. While there isn’t anything to activate this new modal just yet, it is an indication of how Tesla intends to integrate the experience right into each and every Tesla.

The text in the modal reads: “Plug in, place your order, recharge” - which means that once you arrive and are plugged in, you’ll be able to place your order - and likely pay through Tesla’s payment system. It seems like this will all be done through either the Tesla app or the vehicle’s tocuh screen. No need to fumble with a separate app or pull out your wallet.

This is definitely a level of integration you just can’t have anywhere else - and just like any other Supercharger site, the Tesla Diner will appear as a suggested site for charging when you’re navigating or looking around the Hollywood area.

45-Foot Screens Ready

Those two absolutely gigantic 45-foot LED screens have now been turned on for the first time, meaning that Tesla is likely close to opening the Supercharger site. The screens were spotted displaying some test patterns, as well as some Tesla-themed content. It really brings the construction site to life - and it's the clearest sign that the Diner is well on its way to completion.

We’re hoping that this first Tesla Diner sees plenty of success - and that Tesla begins opening more of these types of facilities throughout North America, and eventually globally. Given Tesla’s penchant for unique Superchargers, we imagine this could truly be the case one day.

Tesla’s FSD V13 Pushes HW4 Hardware Capabilities; End of Line for HW3?

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

As Tesla continues to push the capabilities of its hardware as it prepares for autonomy with FSD Unsupervised, there has been a distinct divergence in features between HW4-equipped vehicles on FSD V13, and HW3-equipped vehicles on FSD V12.6. 

There are definitely reasons for this, and Tesla hacker Greentheonly, over on X, went into great detail on some of the reasons why this divergence has continued and is likely to continue.

If you’re interested in some background, we recommend the following articles. Although they’re not necessary, you may enjoy reading them before diving right in if you enjoy this topic.

Back in the summer of 2024, we reported that Tesla’s HW4 had yet to reach its full potential, and that HW3 still had some compute to work with. However, FSD has undergone a rapid evolution - there are now fundamental differences driven by the hardware capabilities and sheer scale of the latest builds of FSD.

FSD V13’s Gargantuan Neural Networks

FSD V13 is a substantial leap for Tesla. It features substantially larger neural networks - the core brain that processes all the environmental data and makes decisions. Those networks are far larger in V13 than in V12, which results in a much smoother and human-like expereience.

Tesla’s FSD computers contain two nodes. According to Green’s analysis of FSD V13, Node B, which handles the actual end-to-end driving logic, tripled in size from 2.3 GB in V12 to a staggering 7.5 GB in V13. That’s a substantial increase, and one of the main reasons why HW3 can’t handle FSD V13. While Interestingly, Node A on HW4 remains similar in size to FSD V12, using up about 2.3 GB.

However, this massive size is also pushing the limits of HW4. While this isn’t necessarily a big problem immediately - at the end of the day, there is a limited amount of compute and ram available and model sizes will likely grow in the future. In fact, Tesla is planning to scale model sizes in the next FSD version and has already said they’ll need to optimize them, as context size is limited by on-board memory.

HW3 Limitations

Since HW3 can’t run the latest FSD models, where does this leave millions of Tesla vehicles equipped with the now-legacy FSD hardware? Are they hitting a dead end? Not exactly - Tesla has promised to replace HW3 computers with new units during the Q4 2024 Earnings Call, but only for those who have purchased FSD and only if Tesla is no longer able to update HW3 vehicles.

There’s no doubt Tesla hopes to achieve autonomy and then work backwards to make it compatible with HW3, but that’s unlikely to happen with the limited ram available on HW3.

Tesla’s AI team has continued to say that they’re still working on updating HW3 vehicles - but that they will be taking a backburner to updates for HW4 until the team can optimize the model efficiently enough to run on the smaller footprint. That means V12.6 isn’t just V13 “lite” - it is a distinctly different software branch tailored specifically for HW3’s capabilities.

Green's analysis showed that HW3 under V12.6 runs NNs totaling 1.2 GB on Node A and 3.1 GB on Node B, which is significantly smaller than the footprint of V13. Back in November, we discussed how Tesla is running a smaller and optimized FSD model on HW3, with the specific goal of achieving similar performance to V13. FSD V12.6 appears to be the current implementation of that smaller model strategy.

Green also found that of the total neural nets used for FSD, 135 are shared between the current V12.6 and FSD V13.2 releases, which is the result of Tesla’s AI team working to optimize and refine the V13 model for HW3. So some neural nets are shared between the two sets of hardware, while others are specific to HW3 or HW4.

AI4 in the Future

The fact that V13 is already stretching HW4’s limits makes us wonder about Tesla’s imminent release of AI5. Last year, Tesla mentioned that AI5 would be 18 months away - which is now about 8 months away, and potentially even sooner to help solve the autonomy problem.

At the same time, Tesla is looking to launch Unsupervised FSD in June in Austin, Texas, with presumably HW4, which would indicate that they’re confident in its capabilities.

Unless Tesla launches the Robotaxi network with AI5, we don’t believe AI5 will be a “must have” item. Undoubtedly, it will result in similar improvements to HW4 compared to HW3. However, the software needed to take advantage of the newer hardware could still be years away.

All eyes will be on Tesla’s Robotaxi network launch and the hardware required for it. For now, HW4 owners are in good hands with future updates are on the horizon, and we’re certainly excited for what’s next.

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