Over the years, vehicles have become another space for people to unwind and work. The pandemic has cemented the idea of in-car work spaces. Tesla’s cabins have become one of the most versatile spaces, partly thanks to its vehicles’ infotainment system. 

Tesla Model S owner and CEO of Mass Luminosity Angel Munoz always believed his infotainment system could be put to better use. 

For almost a year now, Munoz has been working on Beacon 4 Tesla, an in-car video conference service. Recently, Munoz invited Teslarati to join him and Beacon’s Senior VP of Technology Teodor Atroshenko for a video conference call inside his Tesla Model S. 

“The process, the way it works is when you first set it up, you get into your Tesla, you launch the browser, you type in the BeaconX.com/Tesla. It shows you a QR code. You scan the QR code with your Beacon app and that logs you automatically into your car and then as soon as you join the call, the call basically appears on the screen there,” described Atroshenko. 

How Beacon 4 Tesla Works

Munoz explained that Beacon 4 Tesla primarily worked through the driver’s phone at the moment.

“The phone does three functionalities. Number one, it streams the sound that [the Tesla passenger is hearing] through the speakers of the car. Two, you’re using the microphone [of the phone via bluetooth]. And three, it’s streaming the video that it’s receiving to your Tesla,” Munoz explained.

“So primarily, it’s the phone. Think about it that way, it’s primarily the phone right now since we don’t have access to the onboard computers and all that,” he said. 

The final candidate for Beacon and Beacon 4 Tesla will be available in June. The services will officially launch on July 7, 2021. However, Beacon’s services are currently available for free for conference calls with up to six people. 

Tesla owners interested in trying out Beacon 4 Tesla can use the service as well. Follow the instructions below:

1. Install the Beacon mobile app on your iOS (https://apple.co/2PVwMWG) and/or Android (https://bit.ly/3mk52XT) device.

2. Create a new Beacon account or login to an existing one.

3. Tap on the menu icon (vertical ellipsis) on the top-right corner and select “Synchronize Contacts.” This creates a quick list of people to call. Read Beacon’s Privacy Policy at https://beaconx.com/privacy

4. Now launch the Tesla’s web browser and navigate to https://beaconx.com/tesla. The screen will now display a unique QR code. 

5. On your Beacon mobile app, tap on the menu icon (vertical ellipsis) and select “Scan Beacon Code.” Point your mobile phone’s camera to the QR code. You will be prompted to confirm logging in to your Beacon account.

6. You are all set! While your Tesla is parked tap on the webcam icon next to any contact name on your Beacon app to initiate a video conference call in your Tesla.

For more information on Beacon® visit https://BeaconX.com

Tesla App Store for developers

Munoz and Atroshenko believe that Beacon 4 Tesla could offer a much better experience if the in-car video conferencing service had access to the in-cabin cameras currently active in the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. The Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid will have cameras facing the cabin and a more powerful infotainment system. The Plaid Tesla vehicles also have surround sound speakers and noise cancellation features, technologies which can make in-car video conference calls very immersive. 

“We would sign any kind of agreement with him [Elon Musk], if he just gives us access. And then it’d be a much better experience because it’s all tied in, there’d be an app on the Tesla instead of outside of the Tesla,” Munoz said. 

Munoz and Atroshenko’s willingness to work with Tesla on Beacon’s in-car conferencing service hints that it may be time for the EV automaker to look into developing a dedicated Tesla App Store for third-party developers.

Munoz and Atroshenko did not set out to create Beacon 4 Tesla originally. They were simply enticed by the challenge of conducting video conference calls through Tesla’s infotainment system. 

Atroshenko enumerated some of the challenges they faced while making Beacon 4 Tesla. 

“We’re kind of making the best out of the situation—let’s put it that way. Because we can’t access the camera in Tesla. And the camera is not [an] HD camera. It has an overview of the interior, but basically it’s not up to par for video conferencing, at least not in this iteration. So hopefully the next cameras will be better, the ones facing the inside,” Atroshenko said.

After putting so much effort and work into the challenge, Munoz and Atroshenko want to share their work with all Tesla owners. 

“Beacon 4 Tesla is free, so it comes with BeaconX. It’s our gift to Tesla and Elon Musk,” said Munoz. BeaconX is the conference call service the pair developed for laptops, phones and other devices. 

Munoz and Atroshenko’s work hint that more app developers might be interested in building apps specifically for Tesla vehicles. 

Tesla delivered almost 500,000 vehicles last year—despite the pandemic—and seems slated to deliver closer to 1 million cars in 2021. So far, Tesla has introduced a few in-car apps for drivers to use.

During the Q2 2020 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk and CFO Zachary Kirkhorn hinted that Tesla would launch a dedicated App Store once Full Self-Driving was ready and the company had a few million vehicles on the road. However, productive apps like Beacon 4 Tesla might be useful for Tesla passengers now. 

Teslas used in ride-sharing fleets might benefit from an app store because apps could either entertain or make the ride more productive for passengers. Tesla apps might be useful for people who consider renting Tesla vehicles, too, especially for those on work trips or long family vacations traveling by car.

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com or reach out to me at maria@teslarati.com.

Tesla has released a new software update for its Powerwall home battery system that will coordinate vehicle charging during a power outage.

The Tesla Powerwall will now take into account the energy needs of a home while charging the vehicle. If the home battery unit does not have enough energy to maintain the home’s essential needs and charge the vehicle, simultaneously, Powerwall will stop charging the Tesla vehicle.

In May 2019, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated the feature would be “coming soon,” after Twitter follower and content creator DaErik asked if a better system could be enabled that would allow vehicles to not charge and use stored energy during outages. In February 2020, Tesla hinted at this update, citing Powerwalls ability to communicate more efficiently with charging vehicles. This would eliminate the possibility that vehicles would continue charging during an outage, thereby draining the Powerwall and leaving little energy left to power the home.

Tesla details the new Powerwall feature on its website:

“Powerwall now coordinates with Tesla vehicles during a power outage to charge your car without exceeding the energy and power capabilities of your Powerwall. The Powerwall reacts to the power needs of your home and will slow or stop your vehicle’s charging, keeping your home loads powered.

During a power outage, your Tesla vehicle will charge from the Powerwall whenever it is above the threshold set in the Tesla app. You can change this threshold to balance your home and transportation energy needs.

Keep your vehicle plugged in while the sun is shining, and surplus solar will charge your vehicle. Charging stops when Powerwall’s stored energy drops below your set threshold.”

Currently, the feature is available for the Model 3 and Model Y’s North American customers running software 2019.40.1 and newer. Owners must also have version 3.10.2 or later of the Tesla Mobile app, and software 1.46 or later on their Powerwall.

The behavior of the new system is outlined in a chart provided by Tesla as well, which shows Powerwall will make based on the state of its grid.

While the Powerwall is operating on a grid with any electric load, the vehicle will charge as usual. If there is a power outage in the area and Powerwall shows a surplus of energy that remains above the energy threshold, the system will then base the charging speed off of the home’s electric load if the load is low, the vehicle charges with surplus power and energy. If the load is high, the car will charge at a slower rate as the Powerwall will prioritize the needs of the home primarily.

Finally, if an outage is present and the Powerwall shows storage below the energy threshold, the car will automatically stop charging.

The advantages of this new system layout an easy system for owners who utilize both a Tesla vehicle and an energy storage system. Power outages are inconvenient for anyone, but luckily the new energy management system will allow owners not to charge their cars excessively while risking a possible disruption in power to their home.

A Tesla enthusiast has created a new website called TeslaTheater.com that gives Model 3, S, and X owners the capability to view numerous streaming media applications using the entirety of the vehicle’s 15″ display. Coupled with Tesla’s stellar sound system, this new Tesla Theater boost creates an immersive theater experience on wheels.

The service is the brainchild of r/TeslaMotors member u/TeslaModel11, who developed and created the website. The website is accessible through the Tesla web browser and is being improved nearly every day thanks to suggestions from fellow Tesla owners.

In the initial Reddit posting from u/TeslaModel11, he states:

“I am the developer/creator of TeslaTheater.com. My goal is to provide a free service to fellow Tesla owners where we can easily view different streaming media apps in full screen vs. in just the small browser window. I’ve verified functionality on Model 3, S, and X so I feel it’s ready for wider beta testing and feedback.

How to Enable Full Screen mode?

You will see at the bottom of the site an “Enable FullScreen” link. That will enable a workaround that launches fullscreen with loading of a youtube screen that will loop you back into the interface by clicking “GO TO SITE” link. Just click that and you’ll be in the teslatheater.com interface in full screen mode and all apps and sites you load will remain in full screen.

Enjoy!”

The Tesla enthusiast also created an ad spot for the website using the same template as the company’s V10 release promo, complete with a few added extras like Elon Musk’s now-famous dance routine at the Model 3 customer delivery event at Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai.

The Tesla Theater was added with the Version 10 Software Update in late September with just Netflix, YouTube, and Tesla Tutorials. However, the company is poised to expand its lineup of applications with other streaming services such as Twitch, and will add Disney+ in the near future, according to Elon Musk.

For now, the TeslaTheater.com website will serve as a bridge for owners to access Hulu, PlutoTV, TubiTV, HBO Go, Netflix, ESPN, Twitch, CBS All Access, FuboTV, YouTube, Disney+, Plex, ABetterRoutePlanner, Google Chrome, Reddit, and Google Maps. While some of these applications are available through the Tesla Theater, they are not available in full screen.

The ability to watch movies in full screen gives Tesla owners the opportunity to turn their vehicles into mobile movie theaters. Because TeslaTheater.com is compatible with the Model 3, Model S, and Model X, each vehicle is capable of making a Supercharging trip, or perhaps a night out with Camp Mode, a little bit more enjoyable. Each vehicle’s comfortable seats, stellar surround sound system, and large dash screen will give viewers an experience that will rival any drive-thru theater trip.

You can watch TeslaTheater.com’s ad spot below.