GM has high-speed pursuit detection in their ECM firmware. I wonder if Tesla has it?
If you're full throttle most of the time for several minutes, or extended high speeds >120MPH, it dials back engine power, to give the police a chance to catch you.
That seems like an odd story. It is way more likely the cooling system isn't adequate to run the engine at full power for more than a few minutes.
uh a friend disassembled the firmware in a GM ECU, long ago. When hacking something was for fun and learning.
We got stumped on the safety routines.
There was a full-throttle event counter and integrator to detect if a vehicle is being driven in a malicious manner. You would not go on/off hard throttle 20 times in a few minutes or stay full throttle for a minute while picking up groceries and beer.
The code would set a latch and progressively retard ignition timing and disable power-enrichment fuel, putting it into "granny mode" as I called it. The engine would get increasingly weaker. There was also vehicle speed limiting code. Not all cars can drive the Autobahn before aerodynamics and handling crap out.
I thought it was police associations lobbying car makers or Congress for this, to lessen high speed chase carnage. The Corvette code was likely different I'll have to investigate, as it is a performance car that could be driven on a race track.
In a high speed chase, engines don't overheat because they are getting plenty of airflow.
Most of the heat is from the exhaust manifolds, so a chassis dyno without a big fan will quickly have exhaust glowing orange hot and then an engine (exterior) can overheat and roast exhaust valves.
Tesla would have routines to limit thermals on the battery pack, electric motor and drive, to protect the car. I wonder if police car applications were considered, or if this high speed chase triggered code to fake a dead battery?