This sort of thing isn't really that new in the automotive industry. The R35 GT-R has had the same basic powertrain, chassis, and body since 2008, but year over year Nissan continuously upgrades the power output by tuning the ECU and turbocharger boost controllers. You can change an ICE's characteristics quite drastically just with a quick ECU reflash; you can make the cam timing delayed/dulled for better fuel efficiency, or you can set the lifter solenoid (if the engine has one) to activate at insanely low engine speeds to get as much torque out of the engine as possible.
The electric motor is a much simpler device compared to a classical Carnot heat engine. This, combined with Tesla's over-the-air root access to the deepest levels of the vehicle's systems, makes the actual process of tweaking and tuning the car feel much more seamless.
The electric motor is a much simpler device compared to a classical Carnot heat engine. This, combined with Tesla's over-the-air root access to the deepest levels of the vehicle's systems, makes the actual process of tweaking and tuning the car feel much more seamless.