Tesla vehicles receive constant updates to improve functionality, add features, improve reliability and even add games. Teslas will also send you notifications on your phone when your car alarm goes off, if you left your car unlocked, or if the charge level is critically low.
What is Premium Connectivity?
All Teslas come standard with WiFi and cellular modems. When connecting to WiFi either through your home's network or through a hotspot, most features in your Tesla are free to use. However when utilizing your car's cellular connection some features are limited to Tesla's premium connectivity package.
Cost of Premium Connectivity?
Tesla's Premium Connectivity package currently costs $10/month per car in the US. Cars sold before June 30, 2018 include free premium connectivity.
As of February 2022, Tesla has also added a yearly plan for Premium Connectivity in the US. The price of the annual plan is $99/year. You can subscribe to the monthly or the yearly plan by using the Tesla app. In the Tesla app go to the Upgrades section and then tap Manage. If you currently subscribe to the monthly plan, you can also switch to yearly in this same section.
What is included for free, without Premium Connectivity?
The most important data features are included for free in your Tesla, such as phone notifications, software updates, updated navigation maps and even optimal navigation routing that takes live traffic into account.
What does Premium Connectivity include?
The features that require premium connectivity have mostly to do with entertainment while parked or driving. Keep in mind that all entertainment features are available to you if you're connected to WiFi or a hotspot.
Entertainment features that require premium connectivity include music streaming, such as Slacker and Spotify. It also includes video streaming services while parked such as Netflix, Disney+, YouTube and a few others. Keep in mind that some of those services still require a subscription. For example, YouTube is available for free, but Netflix requires a paid subscription. Tesla's premium connectivity simply lets you use the car's data connection to stream those services.
Additional services included in Premium Connectivity are:
Internet browser - Browse the web to look up restaurants, destinations or other information. It can be used by the passenger while driving.
Caraoke - Tesla's version of Karaoke which features hundreds of songs and displays the lyrics on the screen.
Satellite view maps - This displays satellite imagery in your navigation instead of just the terrain view with streets.
Live traffic visualizations - Traffic visualizations will show you which roads are congested and where traffic jams are located by coloring in the roads in various colors. The traffic view can be turned on or off by tapping the Live Traffic icon on the right side of the maps.
Traffic Along Route - With Premium Connectivity, your route will be colored in various colors to highlight the areas with traffic.
Traffic Lights and Speed Camera Icons - Traffic lights, stop signs, speed camera locations and other icons are displayed on the map.
Traffic in Trip Progress Bar - The vehicle's trip progress bar will show you an overview of the traffic along your entire trip.
Sentry Mode Videos in the App - If your video has Sentry Mode armed and there is an event, the Tesla app will notify you with a notification of the event and a one-minute video clip. The video clips can also be viewed in the app.
Sentry Mode Live Access - You can view the live feed of most cameras on the vehicle within the app. Simply make sure Sentry Mode is activated and go to Security and tap on live view.
Average Speed Zones - If your region uses average speed zones, your Tesla will now display when the speed zone started, how much longer until it ends and your average speed.
Zoom - You can connect to meetings with the Zoom app (AMD Ryzen processor vehiciles only)
Steam - You can download and play some Steam games on Model S and Model X vehicles that have access to Steam.
*These features are only available in some vehicles. Steam requires a 2021+ Model S or Model X with 16GB of ram or more, but it's not available on every model. Zoom is only available on vehicles with the AMD Ryzen processor.
Can I share my phone's data (hotspot) with my Tesla?
Yes, with software update 2021.24 and later, you can now choose to share your phone's data connection with your Tesla. It'll get you access to most of the features included with premium connectivity such as music streaming, internet browsing and you'll be able to use all of them while driving.
However there are two features that aren't available without Tesla's premium connectivity, even if you're using your phone as a hotspot. They include the live traffic visualization and the satellite imagery in maps.
Those two features aren't included when on WiFi or using a hotspot because they cost Tesla more than just the data to get them to you. Google provides Tesla both of those features for a fee. Tesla is simply including those fees they pay Google in their premium connectivity package price. So Tesla decides to not provide these features unless you're paying for the premium package.
Following the successful launch of Robotaxi on Sunday, June 22nd, Tesla has begun moving to the next phase of its Robotaxi rollout. They have finally begun sending out a second, larger wave of invites, expanding the early access program to more members of the Tesla community across the United States.
This has moved them past the initial 20 or so users that were offered access on Sunday. That also means Tesla is on the hunt for something crucial: more real-world data.
More Riders ASAP
The initial launch was a tightly controlled event, with access granted to a small and curated group of influencers. While this approach was ideal for generating initial buzz for the launch and collecting feedback from high-quality testers, it also presented logistical challenges.
With only a handful of authorized riders and vehicles, the demand for rides would inevitably dry up as influencers begin their journeys back home. Without a public release, that would leave Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet idle, unable to gather additional data.
To rapidly improve on Robotaxi’s FSD, Tesla needs its vehicles to be constantly navigating real-world scenarios, encountering edge cases, and logging miles. The second round of invites is needed to keep Robotaxis learning and on the road.
Austin Users Next?
This new wave of invites isn’t an open door for members of the public quite yet. By continuing to send invites to trusted community members, Tesla is executing a slow and deliberate rollout by inviting members who know and love Tesla. This allows them to scale the program gradually, increasing the number of users and the diversity of ride requests without overwhelming the relatively small initial fleet of about 10 cars.
Future phases will likely involve opening access to Tesla owners within Austin, which would open up a regular flow of rides. Once that’s done, Robotaxi will likely open up to the public.
Sign of Confidence
The expansion of the early access program is a sign that Tesla is happy and confident with the rollout so far. While Tesla can gather plenty of data around Austin from Tesla owners using FSD, they also need to continue testing features that are exclusive to the Robotaxi, such as the Robotaxi app, support, and remotely control the vehicles when needed.
We expect a full launch to potentially still be months out, but this methodical expansion will likely see more users gradually gain access to the Robotaxi network in the coming weeks.
Omead Afshar, who was previously Elon Musk’s “Fixer” and the Head of Operations for North America and Europe, has left the company, according to reports from Forbes and Bloomberg.
While some sources have claimed he was fired, others say he voluntarily left, but his exit isn’t exactly an isolated event.
Afshar’s departure is the second high-level exit this month, following Optimus' lead, Milan Kovac. When viewed together, alongside Elon's full-time return to Tesla, these changes may offer some insight into the pressures the Tesla executive team is facing during a transitional period.
Transition from what, you may ask? Well, from the world’s largest EV company to an AI and robotics-first company. This transition has been looming for years, and with Elon’s vision of a future powered by autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots. It’s the path that Tesla is determined to forge, ahead of anyone else, and despite the immense challenges of real-world AI.
Two Competing Narratives
Two primary theories have emerged to explain the timing of Afshar’s exit, and each paints quite a different picture.
The first, supported by the reporting from Forbes, frames him as a casualty of Tesla’s current sales issues. With sales having declined for five consecutive months in Europe and dropping in the US, the second quarter of 2025 has been rough for Tesla. In conjunction with recent factory shutdowns, a lot is happening behind the scenes, with Robotaxi taking the limelight and the missing Affordable Model in the backseat. Afshar’s departure could be the result of a move to show accountability for the performance drop of the core business he managed.
The second narrative is one of “mission accomplished.” Just days before his abrupt exit, Afshar posted a celebratory message on X about the successful launch of the Robotaxi Network.
Absolutely historic day for Tesla.
This has been years of hard work and focus by so many people within the company.
He followed up with a second celebratory-styled message the day after - it was a project he was deeply involved in as the do-it-all executive for Elon. This has led to speculation that his departure was planned, and potentially tied to compensation vesting with the launch of the Robotaxi Network, allowing him to leave on a high note after seeing the kick-off of one of Tesla’s most critical projects. This follows other recent departures of Tesla’s executive team, many of whom have gone to full-time retirement following years of hard work.
The Bigger Picture: What Is Tesla, really?
While both theories are plausible, the truth may be that Afshar’s departure is the symptom of a much larger challenge. Tesla is balancing two very different corporate identities.
On one hand, it's a manufacturing and sales powerhouse, responsible for the world’s best-selling electric vehicles, a business facing intense competition and brand perception challenges that even Elon has acknowledged.
On the other hand, Tesla is the only company shipping real-world AI for consumers, and betting its future on robotics and AI with massive investments in capacity for both future businesses.
The recent executive churn suggests that this balancing act is creating some strain, especially for Tesla’s senior executives. The departure of Milan Kovac signaled pressure on the future side of the business, where progress has been slow but consistent. Now, the exit of Afshar, who ran the “legacy” automotive side of the business, shows there’s pressure there, as the automotive business navigates a period of flattening growth and intense global competition.
So, we ask again - What is Tesla, really? Is it an AI and Robotics company? Kind of, but not really. Is it an EV company? Once again, kind of.
In our eyes, it is no longer just an EV company, but it’s at a critical point where it is transitioning to an AI and robotics company.
Tesla’s messaging to the outside world is similarly conflicted. On the one hand, the launch of the refreshed Model Y, a massive boost for the business, went seemingly unnoticed by Elon, who only posted a single update on the Model Y after its launch. On the other hand, we’ve seen consistent and non-stop posts about Robotaxi, which is likely years away from generating a significant portion of Tesla’s profits.
A Company in Transition
Ultimately, Omead Afshar’s departure is more than a single personnel change; it’s a reflection of Tesla navigating a crucial and challenging transition. The evidence of an abrupt halt, with internal sources reporting his account has been removed from internal company directories, suggests that there’s more to this than meets the eye.
Whether he was fired for declining sales or chose to leave after the successful launch of the Robotaxi Network, the outcome is the same. A key leader, tasked with managing the core business of the present, is gone at the very moment when the company is changing its path towards AI and robotics.
Being both a car company in a tough market and an AI company on the verge of a breakthrough is a monumental challenge, and the path forward is likely to see even more changes.
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