Tesla CEO Elon Musk vows end to 'range anxiety'

Chris Woodyard | USA TODAY

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said Sunday that the electric-car maker is going to announce a solution to one of the biggest drawbacks to plug-in cars -- fear of running out of juice before getting to a destination.

In a tweet, the high-tech billionaire says a press conference is being scheduled for Thursday in which Tesla will talk "about the end of range anxiety." Owners won't have to take their cars in for service to take advantage of the new technology: All they need to do is wait for a software update beamed to their cars.

Range anxiety is a term for what has become one of the biggest deterrents of electric cars. Drivers need to find chargers if their batteries are about to run dry. The problem is exacerbated by the limited range of many electric cars. Many can't go much more than 100 miles per charge. Tesla stands out among the pack as having among the longest ranges, but even with a federal rating of 265 miles per charge for the largest battery pack, drivers can get nervous during intercity travel.

Tesla has installed a network of Superchargers between cities to allow intercity travel. The chargers fill up the battery while owners have lunch, dinner or just hang out. But still, range anxiety can creep in.

Musk isn't hinting about what he has in mind. He may have found a way, for instance, of boosting the Model S' range by limiting its performance for long trips in exchange for extra distance. Or he simply may have found a better way to inform drivers about how far they can expect to go on a single charge or improve the way that the car directs them to the closest charging station.

No matter what he has in mind, the change could be boon to all Tesla owners. He says in the tweet that the change will affect all Tesla Model S sedans, not just the newer ones.