Tesla is arguably one of the greatest innovations of the 21st century. It is as much a fast, safe and sleek-looking car as it is a masterpiece of advances in technology, artificial intelligence and car manufacturing over the last one hundred years.
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Focus here – on technology.
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In a great, in-depth article, Bloomberg staff argued that the Model S as a car doesn’t compare to anything else on the market with the exception of the Google self-driving car and that it represents the highlight of “nerd magnetism.” The appeal of the car, beyond efficiency and safety, is that it is “alive.”
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Unlike Google’s car, which remains a thing of the future, Tesla is real, available today and, with the launch of the Model 3 later this year, it will reach mass adoption. With over 400,000 early reservations, Tesla is going down in history as the car with the largest pre-orders. Ever.
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So, what makes Tesla so great? It’s not just the hardware and the good looks. It is the entire ecosystem, powered by great software and mobile apps, which allow Tesla owners to control not just the car itself but its surroundings as well.
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As Bloomberg staff points out, Tesla is the Nirvana of convenience. Its large touchscreen lets drivers see fullscreen maps and driving routes or open the sunroof with a finger swipe. It has built-in algorithms that allow drivers to recharge it at home during off-peak hours to save on the electric bill. You can control your smart thermostat simply by pulling out of your driveway. With a single tap, you can activate voice control and order your car around.
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At its core, the car is powered by a flexible, open system that developers can work on in order to create powerful and simple-to-use applications that make driving and owning a Tesla car a delightful experience. Whether you’re a Tesla owner or someone with a key interest in the future of mobile app development for the automotive industry, this article is for you.
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We looked at some of the coolest apps that have been built for Tesla. Just like Apple for smartphones, Tesla, as a company, is setting the stage and leading the way toward a more convenient and safer driving experience.
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Here are a few applications that are making that happen:
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The official Tesla app received a complete (and much needed) redesign back in February of 2017. The new interface is sleek, easy to use and has a very modern look and feel. The app allows users to check charging progress in real time and start or stop charging the car. You can lock or unlock your car from your house. You can flash the lights or honk the horn to find your car in the parking lock. And – check this out – you can summon your car out of your garage or a tight parking space.
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2.Kontrol for Tesla (available in the App Store only)
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Kontrol for Tesla comes from Y Media Labs, an award-winning mobile app strategy and development agency, headquartered in Silicon Valley. The app is free to use and available in the App Store.
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Kontrol for Tesla can work as a replacement for your Tesla app (as it accomplishes most of the functions already available in the official app) or as a companion.
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In addition to the basic functions Tesla owners are already familiar with, Kontrol for Tesla offers the following new and exciting features:
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First, you can start your car with Touch ID – drivers do not need to type in their password every time they want to access the app. You can also remotely heat up the Tesla car to your desired temperature before you even leave the house. Users may also unlock, honk or check battery status with 2D touch or through the widget (without ever logging into the app). Lastly, Kontrol for Tesla allows you to smart vent the car if it gets too hot.
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3.Teslab (available in the Play Store only, beta)
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Teslab has been dubbed the app that “turns driving your Tesla into a fun social gaming experience.” With this app, which serves only as a companion to the main app, users can track every trip they take in their car, distances traveled and the efficiency of their driving experience. Additionally, the app provides very interesting data points about driving habits like the state of the battery charge, charge history and the vehicle’s lock status. What’s really cool about the app is that you can compete with other drivers and collect rewards while benchmarking your performance against other drivers on the network.
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4.Remote S for Tesla (available in the App Store)
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Remote S for Tesla is another application drivers should seriously look at. The app is available in the App Store and can also be installed on an Apple Watch (bonus points!). It is very feature-rich and, like the other apps mentioned above, it has a very nice and intuitive interface. However, unlike the apps we looked at, this one costs $9.99 to download.
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Here are some of the features that caught our attention:
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The app has a 3D touch menu for quick commands from the home screen to get to what you want faster. Remote S for Tesla also has an alarm function to alert customers when the car has completed charging at the Supercharger stations, thus helping drivers avoid fines from Tesla. The app features a “no-commands mode” which allows friends and family to see the location of the car live, without allowing them to issue any commands to the car. You can save routes to the app for your favorite recurring trips. Last but not least, the app provides lots of cool analytics about your car-driving experience such as current MPG, kWh used, miles traveled, cost savings versus an engine car, cost savings over the lifetime of the car, and other stats.
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Tesla is the car and technology of the future. It is simple to use, efficient, safe and, with the app ecosystem in place, it allows drivers unparalleled access to convenient functionalities, making the driving experience better and easier and lots of fun, with useful data points.
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The four applications we looked at in this article have one thing in common: they’re easy to use and intuitive and help drivers really enjoy their car experience.
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What is your favorite app for the Tesla car?
