Nav System: A brief look

[Todd Burch]

I'm really concerned about Google Maps data with the wireless plan. There needs to be a lot of caching to avoid significant data use. (Think of all those screens zoomed in at highest detail level...that can consume some quality HD space even for a small area).

I'm not sure how Tesla sees a "History reference" as a replacement for a POI database. If your car has no internet, you can't just look for nearby airports, hotels, restaurants, etc? That's no good. Hopefully it improves in the future.

In it's current state the nav system is nowhere close to industry leading (although it has the best display/integration capability). Hopefully future updates will make the nav system top-of-the line. We can only hope!

 

[strider]

:-/ I remember paying Garmin about $130 for a "lifetime" supply of map updates for my unit. Many units come with that included now.

Yes for the separate ones but no car-based units that I know of.

 

[AnOutsider]

I'm honestly a bit surprised they dropped the ball here -- especially for how long the software had to be in the works.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I'm honestly a bit surprised they dropped the ball here -- especially for how long the software had to be in the works.

I reached out a couple of times to senior recruiters at Tesla in 2010 and early last year. Not a peep from them. I'd have made sure all these were addressed Their loss!

 

[dsm363]

The Nav is definitely missing many features but the look and the ability to view your route on the small LCD screen is great.
You can look up POIs via Google.
It does need an Address book or favorites feature.

 

[Robert.Boston]

It does need an Address book or favorites feature.

From what they said, I suppose we can create an "address book" by adding contacts to our paired phones. Unfortunately, I have several thousand contacts in my database, so scrolling through them is a real bother.

 

[dsm363]

From what they said, I suppose we can create an "address book" by adding contacts to our paired phones. Unfortunately, I have several thousand contacts in my database, so scrolling through them is a real bother.

The phonebook interface with the addresses also has no easy way to get to a name other than taking on the first letter of the last name and scrolling down. With thosands of contacts that isn't much better. They need to add a keyboard and let you type in few letters to narrow it down. With a 17" screen, there are many things they could do. You could line up 20 spots with common destinations that you could simply click on.

 

[MikeK]

I noticed that today when I dropped in at Menlo Park. I paired up my phone, and although it was easy to access my recently-called list, if browsing the address book, I didn't even see a way to skip to (say) "T". Hopefully this will be added in a fairly early update.

I will say that I was super pleased with how well the Bluetooth worked with my phone.

 

[DavidM]

I have been extremely impressed with Google Maps with Navigation, audible turn by turn directions, audible search for destination, + Verizon 4G on my Android phone. Maps redraw almost instantly, rerouting is almost instantly, and graphics are excellent. It helps that I have unlimited data under the old plan. It's so good, in fact, that my TomTom has been in the closet for years.

I hope my tech package upgrade isn't a downgrade (wrt GPS Nav).

 

[dsm363]

I have been extremely impressed with Google Maps with Navigation, audible turn by turn directions, audible search for destination, + Verizon 4G on my Android phone. Maps redraw almost instantly, rerouting is almost instantly, and graphics are excellent. It helps that I have unlimited data under the old plan. It's so good, in fact, that my TomTom has been in the closet for years.

I hope my tech package upgrade isn't a downgrade (wrt GPS Nav).

It's been great so far and just missing a few things like ability to save a destination other than just looking in your history. The Model S uses Google maps for the actual maps but Navigon (Garmin I believe) for the navigation.

 

[Cottonwood]

Yesterday, the navigation feature almost got me in trouble. I was heading over to Durango, CO to pick up some family at the Durango Airport. I have flown into both airports in Durango, but never driven to the main, commercial airport. I searched for Durango Airport, and the map showed a few choices, including the main, commercial airport, DRO. I chose that and started driving. As I was driving from the east, I saw an airport sign as I passed it. I pulled over, and rechecked the map. Sure enough, both screens were taking me to the small airport, Animas Airpark, 00C. I tried repeating the search in a few different way, but every time, I selected the correct location on the map, it wanted to navigate me to Animas Airpark. I canceled navigation and just used the signs on the highway and the map on the 17" screen and got the airport as the airplane was landing. This would have been a pretty serious error for someone not familiar with the area or not paying attention.

Be careful out there...

 

[Zzzz...]

Yesterday, the navigation feature almost got me in trouble. I was heading over to Durango, CO to pick up some family at the Durango Airport. I have flown into both airports in Durango, but never driven to the main, commercial airport. I searched for Durango Airport, and the map showed a few choices, including the main, commercial airport, DRO. I chose that and started driving. As I was driving from the east, I saw an airport sign as I passed it. I pulled over, and rechecked the map. Sure enough, both screens were taking me to the small airport, Animas Airpark, 00C. I tried repeating the search in a few different way, but every time, I selected the correct location on the map, it wanted to navigate me to Animas Airpark. I canceled navigation and just used the signs on the highway and the map on the 17" screen and got the airport as the airplane was landing. This would have been a pretty serious error for someone not familiar with the area or not paying attention.

Be careful out there...

Interesting.

If you use Google Maps from notebook/tablet, will it give you route to correct destination? I mean is that a Google fault, or some modifications made by Tesla causing this?

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Ohh I see, choosing destination in Google Maps guide you to correct place....

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Exuse my ignorance, but how Google Maps and Tesla Navigation System related? Tesla is using Google Maps? Or some other software?

 

[ChadS]

Tesla uses Google Maps for the 17" display. But when you hit Navigate, it pulls up turn-by-turn directions on the dash screen using Garmin.

 

[strider]

Tesla uses Google Maps for the 17" display. But when you hit Navigate, it pulls up turn-by-turn directions on the dash screen using Garmin.

Yeah, there must be some errors when they pass the destination from Google Maps to the Garmin system.

 

[Zapped]

A TESLA store rep. indicated one could plug a USB Modem (Aircard) into the USB port for internet connectivity and create a hotspot

Never thought to ask more questions. Can anyone confirm this ? Also:
1) would this override or be an alternate any on board 3G connection.
2) Could this provide 4G or LTE speeds to the NAV system and speed map updates
3) What would the estimated data usage be to update maps during a 3 or 4 hr trip.

 

[kevincwelch]

Tesla uses Google Maps for the 17" display. But when you hit Navigate, it pulls up turn-by-turn directions on the dash screen using Garmin.

Can you display the navigation on the dash without a destination and use that to highlight where you are going? I have often used my Garmin to just display where I am and highlight the roads without having a destination entered. I am wondering if using this basic map could replace the Google maps in the event data is poor.

 

[ChadS]

Not really, as the dash map won't show up until you pick a destination.

But you probably could pick a random destination; the dash map should continue to track you and show you where you are. It will just keep trying to get you to turn to head towards the destination. Turn off the voice and ignore the arrows, and it should work OK.

 

[Cottonwood]

I played with the Nav function again going to my friend's remote house in the mountains. I dialed in his address and requested navigation. It worked and gave me a good route. I panned and zoomed to the last tricky section of the route that I knew was out of cell coverage on the 17" display thinking that it would show me on that saved map. Well somewhere out of cell coverage, without touching the map, it forgot the nice map that I had preloaded and gave me the mountain, grey screen-of-confusion. :frown:

I entered in my home address for the return trip and it complained about no connectivity for the search. Luckily, I went to the history, selected my address, and it was able to generate a route home (without a 17" map display).

 

[DaveVa]

I played with the Nav function again going to my friend's remote house in the mountains. I dialed in his address and requested navigation. It worked and gave me a good route. I panned and zoomed to the last tricky section of the route that I knew was out of cell coverage on the 17" display thinking that it would show me on that saved map. Well somewhere out of cell coverage, without touching the map, it forgot the nice map that I had preloaded and gave me the mountain, grey screen-of-confusion. :frown:

I entered in my home address for the return trip and it complained about no connectivity for the search. Luckily, I went to the history, selected my address, and it was able to generate a route home (without a 17" map display).

Tesla needs to implement some sort of cacheing algorythem for the Google maps...

 

[dsm363]

Once you plan a route, it should download all the map data it needs along that route while it has cellular coverage in case it goes out during the trip.