Tesla’s sleek looking Model S electric car currently comes in three versions, but a more powerful member of the family could be in the pipeline.
A hacker in the US claims to have spotted secret plans for a new 100kWh car, to line-up against the existing 70 and 90kWh models.
Each of these are called 70D, 90D and P90D, suggesting a more powerful model would be known as P100D.
Car enthusiast Jason Hughes reportedly discovered a hidden clue to Tesla’s plans in a recent firmware update for his own Tesla, and subsequently leaked the details online.
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According to tech website Jalopnik, Hughes is a ‘self-proclaimed white hat hacker’ out to test and improve security systems.
The hacker has posted a number of projects on the Tesla Motor Club forum, exploring under the bonnet of his P85D, but following firmware update 7.1 he found hidden evidence of the P100D.
Instead of releasing the find outright, Hughes took to the forum posting an encrypted message of the ‘best bit’ of what he found, using a SHA256 encryption hash key – a 64-bit string of letters and numbers.
In a tweet directed at Tesla founder Elon Musk, Hughes posted the hash key along with: ‘I know your secret. SHA256 of the best part.’
Instead of releasing the find outright, Hughes took to the forum posting an encrypted message of the ‘best bit’ of what he found, using a SHA256 encryption hash key – a 64-bit string of letters and numbers. If confirmed, the plans for a P100D would be Tesla’s most powerful car to hit the market. Stock image
The Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) is a form of one-way data encryption which generates strings of numbers and letters which act as a secure digital identifier when transferring data.
While the code is not unbreakable it takes considerable computing power to crack, in which a computer tries and checks millions of possible combinations, through what’s known as a ‘brute force’ hacking method.
But one forum member, LuckyLuke, was able to crack the code, revealing that the hash key brought back ‘P100D’ – which Hughes reported was hidden in his car’s firmware update as a transparent PNG file.
When forum members cracked the encrypted message, the hacker wrote on Twitter: ‘You guys are great. Fun to get home and find people have cracked some SHA256 I posted. Nice work.’
However, indications are that this may not be the only secret hidden in Tesla’s firmware updates.
Writing on the forum, Hughes said: ‘There are quite a few things that are in the firmware that I’m not prepared to share publicly. Just like the P100D has been in there for months with my lips mostly sealed.’
A member of the Tesla Motor Club forum was able to crack the code (pictured), revealing that the hash key brought back ‘P100D’ – which Hughes reported was hidden in his car’s firmware update as an image file
When forum members cracked the encrypted message the hacker wrote on Twitter: ‘You guys are great. Fun to get home and find people have cracked some SHA256 I posted. Nice work’
He added: ‘I don’t want to spoil all of Tesla’s surprises.’
Following the incident, there was a suspicion that Tesla may have rolled back Hughes’ firmware update to an earlier version.
It is a more secure encryption method than SHA1, which is still used by some banks for online transactions.
And as for the official response, Elon Musk has played it cool, paying the hackers involved their dues.
In a tweet, responding to Hughes’ comments of a rollback, the Tesla and SpaceX boss wrote: ‘Wasn’t done at my request. Good hacking is a gift.’
MailOnline contacted Tesla but the firm declined to comment, only saying that it is constantly innovating and adding new features for its vehicles.
Earlier this year, Musk’s electric car venture announced it is developing two ‘affordable’ models, a sedan and a ‘mini SUV’ crossover, both selling for around $30,000 (£21,000).
Further details are expected to be released this month.
Reaching beyond the automotive industry and into the home, Tesla has previously announced its plans for batteries which could power entire homes.
The technology, called ‘powerwall’ would charge from solar panels, or overnight when electricity rates are cheaper. Users can then switch the battery on during the day to use the home during the day, for up to eight hours.
Tesla announced that it is developing two ‘affordable’ models of its electric cars, a sedan and a ‘mini SUV’ crossover, both selling for around $30,000 (£21,000). Stock image