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

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 and Rivian Settle 4-Year-Long Lawsuit Out of Court

Not a Tesla App

Tesla and Rivian have been in court since 2020. Tesla alleged that ex-employees stole and transferred trade secrets. Tesla also alleged that Rivian was encouraging Tesla employees to depart and bring said trade secrets with them on their way to Rivian.

Tesla is now seeking to have the suit dismissed on December 24th of this year, assuming the settlement terms are reached.

Initial Lawsuit

The initial lawsuit in 2020 involved several employees, including a Health and Safety Manager, a Charging Network Manager, and two Human Resources Recruiters, who all departed Tesla to move to Rivian. Tesla alleged that these employees took trade secrets, confidential materials, and proprietary information when they joined Rivian.

The next year, Tesla added to the suit, alleging that Rivian stole technology related to Tesla’s next-gen batteries. That would’ve been the 4680-cells back then - now the updated Cybercell which is shipping in the Cybertruck.

Out-of-Court Settlement

On November 25th, Tesla informed the California state court that it would be settling the matter with Rivian out of court. This means that Tesla and Rivian have come to an agreement outside of the court case, and Tesla will be dropping its lawsuit. This is good for both companies—extended legal battles are extremely expensive, especially with highly paid, specialized lawyers on both sides of the battle arguing it out for nearly four years.

It's good to see that both companies are moving forward. Rivian stock saw a positive bump in yesterday’s trading from this news—approximately 13%. We’re looking forward to seeing what both companies do in the future. It’d be best to see both as allies in electrifying the planet and supporting adventuring rather than at each other’s throats in court.

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Tesla is Setting Up Pop-Up Displays Across Malls in the United States [VIDEO]

David Zhai on LinkedIn

Each year, around the Holiday season, Tesla puts up pop-up mall displays across the United States, Canada, and certain locations in Europe. It looks like Tesla is continuing this tradition once again this year, as David Zhai, Concept and Prototype Staff Manager at Tesla, has stated on LinkedIn that the Tesla Pop-Up Shops are returning.

Pop-Up Displays

Tesla intends to build small pop-up displays featuring Tesla vehicles, including the Cybertruck, at major malls throughout the United States. These displays are usually temporary and just for the holiday season. However, they’re placed in high-traffic areas, usually near the center of major malls - near food courts and rest areas. 

They’re also usually staffed by members of the local Delivery/Service Center, who are around to answer questions and show off the features of the vehicles on display. After all, seeing a Cybertruck from a distance is one thing - sitting inside is entirely another.

Tesla popup at the American dream mall is nice has the cybertruck on display with sales advisors to answer questions, show the truck, demo drives, and there’s a computer to order cars / look at what’s available pic.twitter.com/oTWz61dDhf

— Joey (@JoeyV1117) November 26, 2024

Other Regions

David Zhai didn’t mention whether these would be coming to other regions - just the United States. It seems that while Tesla previously ran these displays globally, it may not be the case this year. We’ll keep an eye out and see if they start popping up in Canada, Europe, or China - let us know if you spot one there!

Drive-By Displays

When Cybertruck launched, Tesla also held drive-by displays throughout North America and Europe. They drove the Cybertruck into places like New York’s Times Square while towing a Model 3 or Model Y on a trailer behind it. These displays were really popular and attracted tons of attention.

We’re hoping to see more of these drive-by displays make a comeback sometime soon. Many owners have yet to see the new Model 3 or the Tesla Semi up close and personal.

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