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Tesla launches integration with DIMO connected car app

Credit: DIMO

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Tesla has launched the capability for direct integration with DIMO, a decentralized connected car app that lets users connect to networks like vehicle fleets and earn rewards.

DIMO announced the direct integration with Tesla’s vehicles in a press release on Tuesday, set to let Tesla owners manage permissions with their data, connect to vehicle fleet networks, and earn rewards for sharing data directly through the app. Tesla is the first major automaker to enable such an integration, and the company already has 20,000 Tesla vehicles and a total of 109,000 vehicles integrated with the DIMO platform.

In a statement to Teslarati, DIMO Co-Founder Alex Rawitz pointed to Tesla’s approach to opening developer platforms as a good one, noting that platform openness and user choice are worth prioritizing.

“Connected services have not been the goldmine that the auto industry expected,” Rawitz said. “One of the reasons for that has been underwhelming developer platforms that don’t put users first. Tesla is certainly bringing the industry in the right direction by making their platform more open and giving users choice with what apps they can enable for their car.”

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“Where many automakers struggle with issues of security, privacy, and openness, Tesla continues to lead the way by officially supporting robust connections with open mobility platforms,” DIMO writes in the release. “Tesla drivers will now be able to seamlessly manage their connection to DIMO via their Tesla app or infotainment system and continue earning rewards for simply having their vehicle connected to the network.”

To sign up, Tesla owners simply need to download the DIMO app and connect their vehicles to the network here, where they can toggle data permissions and earn money for staying connected. You can learn more about the program on DIMO’s website here.

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Tesla vehicles that are already on the DIMO platform will need to upgrade their connection by October 31. The connected car app developer notes that the deal will offer owners “fine-grained permission control,” along with access to advanced widgets for car health, and additional capabilities such as remotely unlocking the trunk, opening the doors, and more.

“The connected car experience will be as personalized as your phone,” Rawitz also explained in a Tuesday post on X. “Lot’s of companies trying to make that happen, only one project aiming to do it decentralized.”

Tesla adopting direct integration with the platform is also a huge step, as other automakers could follow in opening up their codebases for integration with third-party platforms like DIMO.

In a conversation with Teslarati in June, fellow DIMO Co-Founder explained how the app adds additional layers for vehicle owners in controlling their own data, even with regards to competition in the used auto market.

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“You really want to be in a situation where, if you control your data, not only can you in some cases monetize that, but if you’re bringing that data to a transaction with an insurance company, or with the used car market, to these really big transactions that people make all the time, you’re gonna get a better deal most of the time,” Chatham explained. “And you can at least choose whether you’re going to include that data in the deal or not.”

Updated 8/28/24: Added paragraph three and initial quote from DIMO Co-Founder Alex Rawitz.

Survey shows that 96% of consumers want to own their vehicle data

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Elon Musk

Tesla Full Self-Driving’s newest behavior is the perfect answer to aggressive cars

According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Full Self-Driving appears to have a new behavior that is the perfect answer to aggressive drivers.

According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.

With FSD’s constantly-changing Speed Profiles, it seems as if this solution could help eliminate the need to tinker with driving modes from the person in the driver’s seat. This tends to be one of my biggest complaints from FSD at times.

A video posted on X shows a Tesla on Full Self-Driving pulling over to the shoulder on windy, wet roads after another car seemed to be following it quite aggressively. The car looks to have automatically sensed that the vehicle behind it was in a bit of a hurry, so FSD determined that pulling over and letting it by was the best idea:

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We can see from the clip that there was no human intervention to pull over to the side, as the driver’s hands are stationary and never interfere with the turn signal stalk.

This can be used to override some of the decisions FSD makes, and is a great way to get things back on track if the semi-autonomous functionality tries to do something that is either unneeded or not included in the routing on the in-car Nav.

FSD tends to move over for faster traffic on the interstate when there are multiple lanes. On two-lane highways, it will pass slower cars using the left lane. When faster traffic is behind a Tesla on FSD, the vehicle will move back over to the right lane, the correct behavior in a scenario like this.

Perhaps one of my biggest complaints at times with Full Self-Driving, especially from version to version, is how much tinkering Tesla does with Speed Profiles. One minute, they’re suitable for driving on local roads, the next, they’re either too fast or too slow.

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When they are too slow, most of us just shift up into a faster setting, but at times, even that’s not enough, see below:

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There are times when it feels like it would be suitable for the car to just pull over and let the vehicle that is traveling behind pass. This, at least up until this point, it appears, was something that required human intervention.

Now, it looks like Tesla is trying to get FSD to a point where it just knows that it should probably get out of the way.

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Elon Musk

Tesla Megapack powers $1.1B AI data center project in Brazil

By integrating Tesla’s Megapack systems, the facility will function not only as a major power consumer but also as a grid-supporting asset.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s Megapack battery systems will be deployed as part of a 400MW AI data center campus in Uberlândia, Brazil. The initiative is described as one of Latin America’s largest AI infrastructure projects.

The project is being led by RT-One, which confirmed that the facility will integrate Tesla Megapack battery energy storage systems (BESS) as part of a broader industrial alliance that includes Hitachi Energy, Siemens, ABB, HIMOINSA, and Schneider Electric. The project is backed by more than R$6 billion (approximately $1.1 billion) in private capital.

According to RT-One, the data center is designed to operate on 100% renewable energy while also reinforcing regional grid stability.

“Brazil generates abundant energy, particularly from renewable sources such as solar and wind. However, high renewable penetration can create grid stability challenges,” RT-One President Fernando Palamone noted in a post on LinkedIn. “Managing this imbalance is one of the country’s growing infrastructure priorities.”

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By integrating Tesla’s Megapack systems, the facility will function not only as a major power consumer but also as a grid-supporting asset.

“The facility will be capable of absorbing excess electricity when supply is high and providing stabilization services when the grid requires additional support. This approach enhances resilience, improves reliability, and contributes to a more efficient use of renewable generation,” Palamone added.

The model mirrors approaches used in energy-intensive regions such as California and Texas, where large battery systems help manage fluctuations tied to renewable energy generation.

The RT-One President recently visited Tesla’s Megafactory in Lathrop, California, where Megapacks are produced, as part of establishing the partnership. He thanked the Tesla team, including Marcel Dall Pai, Nicholas Reale, and Sean Jones, for supporting the collaboration in his LinkedIn post.

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Elon Musk

Starlink powers Europe’s first satellite-to-phone service with O2 partnership

The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools.

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Credit: SpaceX

Starlink is now powering Europe’s first commercial satellite-to-smartphone service, as Virgin Media O2 launches a space-based mobile data offering across the UK.

The new O2 Satellite service uses Starlink’s low-Earth orbit network to connect regular smartphones in areas without terrestrial coverage, expanding O2’s reach from 89% to 95% of Britain’s landmass.

Under the rollout, compatible Samsung devices automatically connect to Starlink satellites when users move beyond traditional mobile coverage, according to Reuters.

The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools. O2 is pricing the add-on at £3 per month.

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By leveraging Starlink’s satellite infrastructure, O2 can deliver connectivity in remote and rural regions without building additional ground towers. The move represents another step in Starlink’s push beyond fixed broadband and into direct-to-device mobile services.

Virgin Media O2 chief executive Lutz Schuler shared his thoughts about the Starlink partnership. “By launching O2 Satellite, we’ve become the first operator in Europe to launch a space-based mobile data service that, overnight, has brought new mobile coverage to an area around two-thirds the size of Wales for the first time,” he said.

Satellite-based mobile connectivity is gaining traction globally. In the U.S., T-Mobile has launched a similar satellite-to-cell offering. Meanwhile, Vodafone has conducted satellite video call tests through its partnership with AST SpaceMobile last year.

For Starlink, the O2 agreement highlights how its network is increasingly being integrated into national telecom systems, enabling standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites without specialized hardware.

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