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
Elon Musk
Trump’s invite for Elon just reshuffled Tesla’s big Signature Delivery Event
Tesla rescheduled its final Model S farewell to May 20 after Musk joined Trump in China.
Tesla has rescheduled its Model S and Model X Signature Edition delivery event to Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after abruptly calling off the original May 12 celebration. The event will take place at Tesla’s factory at 45500 Fremont Boulevard in Fremont, California, the same location where the Model S first rolled off the line in 2012. Invitees received a follow-up email asking them to reconfirm attendance and download a new QR code ticket, with Tesla noting that all travel and accommodation expenses remain the buyer’s responsibility.
The reason behind the original cancellation came into focus the same day it was announced. President Trump invited Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, and executives from Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Meta to join his trip to China this week for a summit with President Xi Jinping. The agenda covers trade, artificial intelligence, export controls, Taiwan, and the Iran war, following weeks of escalating friction between Washington and Beijing over AI technology, sanctions, and rare earth exports. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I am very much looking forward to my trip to China, an amazing Country, with a Leader, President Xi, respected by all.”
Tesla launches 200mph Model S “Gold” Signature in invite-only purchase
The vehicles at the center of all this are the last Model S and Model X units Tesla will ever build. Priced at $159,420 each, the 250 Model S and 100 Model X Signature Edition units come finished in Garnet Red with a one-year no-resale agreement, giving Tesla right of first refusal if the owner decides to sell. As Teslarati reported, the Model S defined Tesla’s early identity as a serious luxury automaker, and the Fremont factory line that built it is now being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots.
Musk’s inclusion in the China delegation drew attention given his very public relationship with Trump, and the invitation signals the two have moved past and past grievances. Trump originally brought Musk on to lead the Department of Government Efficiency following his inauguration, and despite a sharp public dispute in mid-2025, the two have appeared together repeatedly in recent months. A seat on the China trip, the most diplomatically consequential visit of Trump’s current term, puts Musk back at the table on U.S. economic policy at a moment when Tesla’s China revenue remains one of the company’s most important financial pillars.
Lifestyle
Tesla Semi hauls fresh Cybercab batch as Robotaxi era takes hold
A Tesla Semi was filmed hauling Cybercab units out of Giga Texas for the first time.
A Tesla Semi loaded with Cybercab units was recently filmed leaving Gigafactory Texas, marking what appears to be the first documented delivery run of Tesla’s autonomous two-seater. The footage shows multiple Cybercabs secured on a flatbed trailer being hauled by a production Tesla Semi, a truck rated for a gross combination weight of 82,000 lbs. The location is consistent with Giga Texas in Austin, where Cybercab production has been ramping since February 2026.
The sighting follows a wave of Cybercab activity at the Austin facility. In late April, drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer spotted approximately 60 Cybercabs parked in two organized groups in the factory’s outbound lot, the largest concentration observed to date. Units being staged in an outbound lot is a standard pre-delivery step, and the Semi footage is the logical next frame in that sequence.
En route with @tesla_semi pic.twitter.com/ZfuOjaeLH1
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) May 7, 2026
This is not the first time Tesla has used its own Semi to move Tesla products. When the Semi was unveiled in 2017, Musk noted it would be used for Tesla’s own operations, and over the years Semi prototypes were spotted carrying cargo ranging from concrete weights to Tesla vehicles being delivered to consumers. In 2023, a Semi was photographed transporting a Cybertruck on a trailer ahead of that vehicle’s delivery launch.
The Cybercab itself was first revealed publicly at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, where 20 pre-production units gave attendees rides around the studio lot. Musk stated at the event that Tesla intends to produce the Cybercab before 2027. The first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026, with Musk posting on X: “Congratulations to the Tesla team on making the first production Cybercab.”
Tesla’s annual production goal is 2 million Cybercabs per year once multiple factories reach full design capacity, with the company targeting a price under $30,000 per unit. Tesla has confirmed plans to expand its robotaxi service to seven cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas, building on the unsupervised service already running in Austin. Musk has said he expects robotaxis to cover between a quarter and half of the United States by end of year.
Tesla has taken home the “Overall Loyalty to Make” award from S&P Global Mobility for the fourth consecutive year, reinforcing Tesla owners’ willingness to come back. The 2025 awards are based on S&P Global Mobility’s analysis of 13.6 million new retail vehicle registrations in the U.S. from October 2024 through September 2025. The complete list of 2025 winners includes General Motors for Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer, Tesla for Overall Loyalty to Make, Chevrolet Equinox for Overall Loyalty to Model, Mini for Most Improved Make Loyalty, Subaru for Overall Loyalty to Dealer, and Tesla again for both Ethnic Market Loyalty to Make and Highest Conquest Percentage.
Tesla’s streak in this category started in 2022, and the brand has now won the Highest Conquest Percentage award for six straight years, meaning it keeps pulling buyers away from other brands at a rate no competitor has matched. Tesla’s retention among Asian households reached 63.6% and among Hispanic households 61.9%, rates that significantly outpace national averages for those groups. That breadth of appeal across demographics adds a layer of significance to a win that some might dismiss as routine.
The timing matters too. After several consecutive quarters of decline, Tesla’s share of U.S. EV sales jumped to 59% in Q4 2025. That rebound, arriving just as competitors were flooding the market with new models and incentives, suggests Tesla’s loyalty numbers are not simply the result of limited alternatives. Buyers are still choosing it when they have plenty of other options.
What keeps Tesla owners coming back has a lot to do with the and convenience of charging. The Supercharger network is the most straightforward example. With over 65,000 Superchargers globally, it remains the largest and most reliable fast-charging network in the world, and owners who have built their routines around it face a real practical cost when considering a switch. Competitors have made progress, but the consistency, speed, and availability of Tesla’s network is still the benchmark the rest of the industry is chasing. Then there is the software side. Tesla has built a model where the car you own today is functionally different from the car you bought two years ago, through over-the-air updates that add continuous game-changing improvements such as Full Self-Driving that has moved from a driver-assist feature to an increasingly capable autonomous system. For many Tesla owners, leaving the brand means starting over with a car that will not get meaningfully better over time, and that is a trade-off fewer and fewer are willing to make.
NASA updated Artemis III and SpaceX’s role just got more complicated
Tesla is making sweeping improvements to Robotaxi
