Tesla Launches Third Party App Support: Granular Sharing Options and Support for Tesla Solar

By Kevin Armstrong
Tesla will allow you to chosoe which data to share
Tesla will allow you to chosoe which data to share
Not a Tesla App

It wasn't long ago when we spotted a seemingly innocuous addition to the Tesla account settings - a "Third Party Apps" option under Profile Settings. Though initially without functionality, this subtle hint sparked speculation about Tesla's plans to support third-party apps.

Fast forward to today, and the rumors have materialized into reality, marking a transformative chapter in Tesla's growth. Standard Fleet's integration is leading the charge, a milestone showcasing the promise and potential of such partnerships.

Standard Fleet: Offering Security and Functionality Like Never Before

Created by Apple veteran and Tesla enthusiast David Hodge, Standard Fleet is the first third-party service to be officially supported by Tesla, marking a turning point in Tesla's relationship with external developers.

Standard Fleet is an intelligent solution designed with Tesla owners in mind. It offers seamless management of Tesla ride-sharing and EV-sharing without additional hardware. Instead, users can sign in with Tesla, and they have the assurance that their passwords and accounts remain confidential, thanks to the OAuth protocol. It’s a new way to manage fleets, and it’s as simple as signing in with your Tesla account.

The platform has already won the trust of major players in the industry, including Revel in New York and MisterGreen Electric Lease in Europe. These businesses are leveraging Standard Fleet's features to effectively manage thousands of Tesla vehicles. Hodge briefly commented on this breakthrough to Teslarati, “Teslas are fantastic fleet vehicles. We have nearly 100,000 EVs connected and are thrilled to make this step to improve how we can support our innovative EV Fleet customers.”

Data Sharing With Privacy In Mind

Tesla's new Third-Party Apps management feature allows users to easily manage supported third-party services, letting owners view or discontinue use of any service at any time. Since authorization goes through Tesla, third-party services would lose access to the owner's data when the user removes the service from their account. However, more importantly, Tesla also allows granular control over what data is shared.

When granting access to a third-party service with 'Sign in with Tesla,' you'll be able to choose the data you want to share. Tesla breaks down the data for Tesla products in the following categories.

Profile Information

Contact information, home address, profile picture, and referral information

Vehicle Information

Vehicle live data, location, eligible upgrades, nearby superchargers, ownership, and service scheduling data

Vehicle Commands

Commands to access Sentry Cam, add or remove driver, unlock, wake up, remote start, and schedule software updates

Vehicle Charging Management

Vehicle charging history, billed amount, charging location, commands to schedule, start, and stop charging

Solar Energy Data Sharing

Tesla isn't limiting data sharing Tesla vehicles either. You'll be given the option to share and let third-party services manage your Tesla Energy products such as Tesla Solar and Powerwall as well. Similar to sharing data for your vehicle, you'll also be able to choose from two categories for solar.

Energy Product Information

Energy flow history, saving forecast, tariff rates, grid import, calendar, site status, time of use, and ownership

Energy Product Commands

Update storm mode

These new options bring a new layer of privacy and choice to Tesla owners, allowing them to limit whether third parties can unlock, wake up, or start their vehicles.

The Future Lies Ahead

Although Standard Fleet is the first and currently only third-party service to be supported, exciting possibilities such as Apple Maps EV routing and enhanced functionality on other services are now within reach. It's only a matter of time before Tesla opens up official support to more services.

Tesla to Allow Drivers to Display License Plates in Vehicle Visualization

By Karan Singh
Rendering of what Tesla's license plate feature could look like
Rendering of what Tesla's license plate feature could look like
Not a Tesla App

Tesla update 2024.38 has started rolling out to several regions and vehicles. Thanks to Tesla hacker Greentheonly, we have a behind-the-scenes look at some new features coming to Teslas.

License Plate Display

According to Greentheonly, it looks like Tesla may soon let you display your actual license plate in the vehicle’s visualization on the screen. In our article, The Most Request Tesla Features, several readers suggested displaying the vehicle’s license plate in the visualization instead of a blank, white plate.

It looks like Tesla will be doing just that, at least in China. Green found references that appear to conclude that you’ll be able to display your vehicle’s plate on screen. This will likely be user input, so you could have it say anything you’d like, and it doesn’t have to be your actual license plate.

For many owners, who may find it difficult to remember their license plate, this could serve a practical purpose in addition to adding to the visualization's realism.

While Green was only able to say it’ll be available in China, we expect this is due to China’s software development team working on it and that it’ll eventually be released worldwide.

We’ve seen several features originally released in China and later applied to everyone. Some of these include the Air Quality Index display, the trip meter that displays traffic along your route, and even the ability to change your vehicle’s color.

While code for this feature was found in update 2024.38, we may not be turned on in China yet. We suspect this feature may be a strong candidate for Tesla’s upcoming holiday update.

FSD Hardware Version Display

As part of the 2024.38 update, Tesla has now made it easy to determine whether your vehicle includes Hardware 3 or Hardware 4. You can now simply navigate to Controls > Software and tap Additional Vehicle Information. In addition to other hardware information about your vehicle, your Autopilot hardware version will now be listed as well.

You can see whether your vehicle has HW2.5, HW3, or AI4. This in-car display is useful, but if you don’t have access to the vehicle, you can always use our guide on how to determine the hardware version of a Tesla.

New Battery Health Test & Service Mode Improvements

Green found some additional things as well. There’s a new and improved Battery Health Test. The new test will show you how your car scores compared to similar vehicles in the Tesla fleet.

In addition, maintenance records can now be permanently stored “in the car.” It doesn’t appear that this feature is activated yet, but it’s likely in active development with some parts leaking out in the 2024.38 update.

Tesla has included various Service Mode improvements and new visualizations in this update.

Leaked Images of the Tesla Model Y Juniper Refresh

By Karan Singh
Mr Li on X

It’s been a while since we saw the last batch of leaked images of the Model Y Juniper refresh. That inspiring photo, alongside other images, set the blood of many concept artists on fire. We saw a ton of awesome concepts of Project Juniper, and now there are even more leaked images.

Mr Li on X came across some covered-up Project Juniper vehicles recently and he managed to get various shots of the vehicle.

Juniper Images

This front image reveals what looks like two rows of lights, possibly confirming the front light bar for the Model Y refresh — similar to the one on the Cybercab.

The rear side has a lot of lights on it!
The rear side has a lot of lights on it!
Mr Li on X

The rear side shows a ton of brake lights, but it’s not clear why. While it looks like the Model Y refresh will also feature a rear light bar similar to the Cybertruck, there isn’t strong evidence of that in this photo.

Mr Li on X

There's an obvious set of lights at the bottom, so it looks like the Model Y refresh will be similar to the new Model 3 where the bottom lights can operate as brake lights when the one-piece tail lights and trunk are up.

Mr Li on X

In the last photo, we see that the overall form factor of the refreshed Model Y will remain unchanged, and Tesla is focusing the changes on the front and rear ends of the vehicle, much like the Model 3 refresh. However, in this one shot, we can also see what appears to be red light leaking out of the rear camera cover opening, possibly due to the rear light bar.

The Model Y is not only Tesla’s best-selling vehicle but also the world’s best-selling car in 2023. This year, it’s expected to be the best-selling vehicle in the United States and again in the world, so this refresh will be huge for Tesla.

We expect most of the interior to remain the same as the Model 3 refresh, which saw substantial improvements in quality, noise reduction, and performance. Check out our wishlist of more things we hope to see in the Model Y refresh.

Dominic’s Concept

Dominic's Concept, in all its glory.
Dominic's Concept, in all its glory.
@DominicBRNKMN on X

@DominicBRNKMN made another fantastic set of concepts based on these new images. Given he had the most accurate Model 3 Highland concept before the official launch, we’re pretty sure his latest work be close here as well.

@DominicBRNKMN

We’re super excited to see the eventual reveal of Project Juniper, which is expected in the first half of 2025. However, expect to see a few more leaks before production kicks off at Giga Shanghai.

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