Lifestyle
Why your Tesla can become the ultimate ‘Connected Car’
Techies have dreamed of the day when their cars would be as advanced as their personal computing and smartphone devices. Daily use of technology has shifted beyond being the norm to being a necessity. It’s evolved into a digital lifestyle that has extended into vehicular use.
With the launch of the Model S in 2012, Tesla set the benchmark for what the connected car could be. Besides being an amazing, all-electric vehicle with outstanding performance, utility, and good looks, it also incorporates internet technology into the vehicle, cabin and driving experience like never before. A Tesla Model S or Model X provides drivers with the ‘potential’ to carry their digital lifestyle into the vehicle.
Follow along in our upcoming series that will explore the evolving connected car industry and its future possibilities. We’ll cover topics such as how these next generation vehicles might incorporate our digital lifestyles, what the cyber security implications are, how our city’s infrastructure may evolve in response, and how autonomous vehicles will change our society.
So what is a Connected Car?
Because this is an evolving industry, there really isn’t a clear, universal definition for the “connected car.” Technological innovation is happening so quickly, there seems to be no limit on what it could be. Some automotive manufacturers are selling ‘connected cars’ that are simply connected to the internet on their own cellular connection. But internet enabled features are limited. While this may be technically accurate, a connected car needs to be more than just a WiFi hotspot.
At its most basic level, a connected car should have the following attributes:
- It must be connected to the internet at all times
- It must be able to function as a participant in our digital lifestyle similar to an internet of things (IoT) or smart home device
- It must allow the user to interact with their digital lifestyle in a functional and usable way
How automakers are trying to build the Connected Car
Connected car technology is currently being implemented using one of two emerging approaches. The first is simply to project smartphone apps onto a screen in the dashboard. This solution works by running the app on your smartphone but displaying the interface on your vehicle dashboard. The app cannot function without the smartphone and typically has limited or no access to vehicle information. While projected apps can work for things like text messaging and streaming audio apps, they don’t work without the presence of the smartphone and therefore limit the vehicle’s ability to be a full participant in the Internet of Things. Additionally, these apps are generally not designed well for use in a vehicle.
The second is to have embedded apps, or apps that run in the vehicle itself. This solution works by having apps installed or running in the vehicle, similar to tablet or smartphone apps. The advantage is that the apps run independently of a smartphone, can securely access vehicle data, and in special cases can even perform vehicle functions remotely such as closing the sunroof. These advantages mean that the vehicle has the potential to be a full participant in the Internet of Things. Additionally, these apps are designed specifically for in-vehicle use, with display and user interfaces (ie. buttons, colours, text size, etc.) optimized for in-car use.
A third approach worth considering is a hybrid of these two, where the in-vehicle experience can function independently from a smartphone, but can also incorporate data from and interact with a smartphone. This would allow functionality such as text messaging and email to work off the smartphone, while embedded apps could perform more advanced, vehicle specific and independent functionality. Another advantage of a hybrid solution is that it could maintain a unified interface experience that is appropriate to in-vehicle use and look like it was designed for the specific vehicle — as opposed to an iPad stapled to the dashboard.
“we think a Tesla is the coolest mobile device, ever! (almost)”
This leads us to why we think a Tesla is the coolest mobile device, ever! (almost)
My Tesla has the potential to do so much more
Because of its independent internet connectivity, the Tesla Model S and X offer opportunities to control the vehicle from other internet connected devices. Tesla offers a smartphone app that allows you to control some of the vehicle functions such as charging, air conditioning, and now even parking and summon (on vehicles with Autopilot). And Tesla vehicles receive regular software updates over the air, adding and improving functionality over time. In-vehicle software includes Internet radio, Google Maps (with navigation), and limited integration with your personal calendar that will display your next couple of appointments.
Still, there is much more that can be done with the technology. At least that’s how I felt when I took delivery of my Model S in 2012. At that time there was a lot of talk about in-vehicle apps becoming available, and there was even an app icon in the centre console interface. Unfortunately we are still waiting for Tesla to release an SDK. That being said, Tesla is pretty busy with their Gigafactory, Model 3, Autopilot, and generally steering the whole automotive industry toward electrification.
Although Tesla hasn’t released an SDK or third party app development, and new Tesla-developed apps have been limited, Tesla did include a Web browser as a key feature to their large centre console dash. And that web browser has opened up a host of possibilities for connected car features and interface development. It was the inspiration for my team at Evolved Vehicle Environments to create EVE for Tesla, a growing connected car platform that already incorporates many of the features you might expect in a connected car.
EVE for Tesla for the Model S, Model X
Finally, you can have access to your calendar, email, social media, news, and more in your car – provided that car is a Tesla! And with EVEConnect, a feature available to paid members, your Tesla has officially become a full participant in the Internet of Things. It can receive messages, trigger events, and even talk to your home. And with the recently released EVE for Tesla IFTTT channel, you can now connect your Tesla to over 300 products and services.
In our next post, we will explore the development of the Internet of Things, the connected home market, and connected car/connected home integration. If you have any questions you’d like us to address, please drop us a comment below.
-Jason Taylor
Lifestyle
Tesla app update makes Robotaxi ownership make a lot more sense
Tesla’s app now shows a live indicator when your car is actively driving itself.
A recent Tesla app update, released last week (4.58.5), gives visibility on whether a vehicle is navigating in its semi-autonomous mode or being drive by a human driver. The updated app now displays a live “Self-Driving” indicator in bright blue text directly beneath the vehicle’s speed readout whenever Full Self-Driving is actively engaged, along with the signature glowing blue navigation path that FSD users see on the main touchscreen. It is a small visual update with meaningful implications for how Tesla owners monitor their vehicles remotely.
The feature was first spotted in the wild by X user Jordan Camina, who shared video of a Hardware 3 Model S displaying the new animation through the app while driving. That detail is significant because it confirms the update is not limited to newer HW4 vehicles. It works across hardware generations, and Tesla confirmed it will eventually support all vehicles regardless of chip platform once both the app and vehicle software are updated. The vehicle side requires software version 2026.20.6.1, which has reached nearly 40% of the fleet so far, as monitored by NotaTeslaApp.
The feature makes the most practical sense when viewed through the lens of Tesla’s expanding robotaxi operation. In a robotaxi context, the owner of a vehicle generating ride revenue has a direct financial and safety interest in knowing whether their car is operating under autonomous control at any given moment. The app’s new FSD indicator gives fleet owners exactly that visibility, the same way a logistics company monitors whether a delivery driver is following the planned route. It also carries implications for Tesla’s insurance model. Tesla’s own insurance product prices premiums in part based on FSD engagement rates, and real-time visibility into when FSD is active creates a feedback loop that could eventually tie directly into policy pricing. For individual owners who have opted their personal vehicles into the robotaxi network, the update effectively turns the Tesla app into a fleet management dashboard, one that tells you whether your car is earning money, whether it is driving itself to do it, and whether everything is operating the way it should from wherever you happen to be.
Tesla expands Robotaxi to Florida, marking its third state for autonomy
As Teslarati has reported, Tesla launched unsupervised robotaxi rides in Miami this summer, a milestone that makes a remote FSD status indicator significantly more practical than a cosmetic feature. When a vehicle is operating as a robotaxi without a driver present, the owner or fleet operator needs a reliable way to confirm autonomy is engaged. The app now provides exactly that.
As noted by NotATeslaApp, The update also arrived alongside a hint buried in the same app version that Tesla plans to use the cabin camera to verify driver identity before FSD can be activated. Pairing identity verification with a live autonomy status indicator points toward the infrastructure Tesla is building for a fleet of driverless vehicles that owners can monitor the way you would track a package delivery.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company just doubled its tunneling power in Nashville
The Boring Company’s Prufrock MB2 is commissioned and ready to mine beneath Nashville’s streets.
The Boring Company’s second tunnel boring machine, Prufrock MB2, is officially ready to dig in Nashville. The company confirmed the news on X, posting: “Prufrock-MB2 is ready to mine in Nashville! MB2 commissioning is complete, including the brief 11 rpm rotation shown here. Will MB2 catch up to MB1, who had quite the head start? And Prufrock-MB3 ships in August!”
MB2 arrives with meaningful improvements over its predecessor. Lessons learned from the launch and operation of MB1 have already been applied to MB2 to improve efficiency and prepare the machine for launch.
Traditional tunnel boring machines operate in a stop-and-go cycle, digging roughly five feet, halt, erect precast concrete segments to line the tunnel wall, then resume. That repeated interruption is one of the main reasons conventional tunneling is slow and expensive. Prufrock is designed to install the tunnel liner simultaneously with mining, eliminating the need to stop every five feet. The machine also skips the need for excavated launch pits. Prufrock arrives on a truck, tilts down, and launches into the ground within 24 hours. And when the tunnel is complete, it emerges from the ground and drives to its next launch site on a trailer, eliminating the need for expensive cranes or pit excavation. The machine is also fully electric and runs with zero people in the tunnel during normal operations, controlled remotely from a surface operations center.
Prufrock-MB2 is ready to mine in Nashville! MB2 commissioning is complete, including the brief 11 rpm rotation shown here.
Will MB2 catch up to MB1, who had quite the head start?
And Prufrock-MB3 ships in August! pic.twitter.com/TTrMql2aRg
— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) June 17, 2026
It won’t be long before we hear of another major update on The Boring Company’s Music City Loop project – a planned underground transit network beneath Nashville that would move passengers in electric vehicles through a series of tunnels at highway speeds, and bypassing surface traffic entirely. Nashville was selected in part because of its strong rock conditions that suits the Prufrock machines well, and relatively less regulatory hurdles.
Progress has been steady on multiple fronts. All 37 permits and approvals required ahead of tunneling have been obtained, out of 45 total. Key wins include a fully executed TDOT tunnel permit authorizing 25 miles of tunnel, unanimous airport authority approval for a Nashville International Airport station, and the city’s first residential station agreement serving downtown tower residents.
With MB1 already tunneling, MB2 now commissioned, and MB3 shipping in August, Nashville is becoming something of a live proving ground for scaled tunnel boring. The broader ambition is not limited to one city. The Boring Company’s stated goal is to make underground transportation a practical alternative to surface roads across major metro areas. Nashville is one of many cities, including a successful Las Vegas tunnel system, where that idea is being put to the test at real speed.
Investor's Corner
Tesla unfolded its first European “folding Supercharger”
Tesla’s folding Supercharger just arrived in Europe and it changes how fast charging expands.
Tesla’s Folding Unit Supercharger has officially landed in Europe, with the company teasing a new installation in its effort for a broader rollout targeting major motorway rest stops across the European continent in Q3 2026. The arrival marks a notable shift in how Tesla is thinking about network expansion, moving from hardware performance alone to engineering the logistics chain itself.
While Tesla did not reveal the exact location for the new folding Supercharger in Europe, the photo shared on X heavily suggests that this maybe somewhere in Norway. Historically, whenever Tesla rolls out an entirely new infrastructure architecture in Europe, whether it was the original Supercharger stalls years ago or these brand-new modular V4 “Folding Units”, Norway is almost always the designated launch pad because of its unmatched EV adoption rate and supportive infrastructure
The Folding Unit, introduced in March 2026, is a factory pre-assembled V4 charging station built on an industrial hinge system mounted to a heavy-duty concrete base. The entire assembly arrives on site ready to unfold and connect. Tesla confirmed the units feature telescopic light poles specifically designed for easy transportation and fast on-site deployment, a detail that signals how carefully the logistics chain has been engineered alongside the hardware itself. The design allows 33% more stalls per delivery truck, cuts installation time roughly in half, and reduces overall deployment costs by more than 20% compared to traditional installations.
Tesla’s newest “Folding V4 Superchargers” are key to its most aggressive expansion yet
Tesla also noted telescopic light poles which provide benefits over traditional Supercharger installations that require fixed-height poles that are awkward to ship, slow to position on site, and often require separate crews and equipment to erect before charging hardware can even be staged. By engineering poles that compress for transit and extend on arrival, Tesla has removed one of the quieter bottlenecks in the physical deployment process. Every hour saved on a light pole installation is an hour redirected toward getting stalls energized. At scale, across dozens of new sites per quarter, those hours add up to a meaningful acceleration in how quickly a location goes from approved permit to serving its first customer.
Each Folding Unit pairs a single V4 power cabinet with eight charging posts. The V4 cabinet delivers up to 500 kW per stall for passenger vehicles and up to 1.2 MW for the Tesla Semi, supporting twice the stalls per cabinet at three times the power density of its predecessor. Longer cables make every new station immediately usable by non-Tesla vehicles, a priority as Tesla continues opening its network to Ford, GM, Rivian, Hyundai, Stellantis, and others.
As Teslarati reported when the Folding Unit was first unveiled, Tesla’s Gigafactory New York produced its final V3 Supercharger cabinet in March 2026 after more than seven years and 15,000 units, completing a full pivot to V4 production. The European arrival of the folding design is the next chapter in that transition.
Faster and cheaper deployment means Tesla can justify building in markets and corridors that were previously too expensive to serve, filling the coverage gaps that have slowed EV adoption outside major urban centers.
First Folding Unit Superchargers in Europe 🇪🇺 https://t.co/KNfYWJukkL pic.twitter.com/YR1udIpH1i
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) June 10, 2026
The secret behind Tesla’s Cybercab Gold goes well beyond just the color
Tesla app update makes Robotaxi ownership make a lot more sense
