Using car as wifi hotspot

[tmxninja]

The browser in Tesla is really slow, and typing is awkward. I am wondering if the car can act a wifi hotspot for my smartphone so that I can browse while I am charging without using up my phone's data plan.

I thought I saw someone saying it was planned feature a few years ago but can't find anything on it anymore.

 

[Silicon Desert]

Nope.

 

[DCGOO]

The browser in Tesla is really slow, and typing is awkward. I am wondering if the car can act a wifi hotspot for my smartphone so that I can browse while I am charging without using up my phone's data plan.

I thought I saw someone saying it was planned feature a few years ago but can't find anything on it anymore.

You want Tesla to be your ISP too? No thank you. I’m very happy to have them stick with cars.

 

[golfbern]

You want Tesla to be your ISP too? No thank you. I’m very happy to have them stick with cars.

A lot of cars come with this now. It already has an LTE connection so all it has to do is broadcast it.

I was disappointed when I found it doesn’t, I assumed it would.

 

[kev1n]

theres no incentive for tesla to offer this unless its on a paid subscription. they are not going to offer free data lol imagine how much abuse there would be

 

[CapnLoki]

A lot of cars come with this now. It already has an LTE connection so all it has to do is broadcast it.

I was disappointed when I found it doesn’t, I assumed it would.

Those services can cost $20 to $50 a month - you'd probably do better using your phone as a hotspot.

 

[jboy210]

Those services can cost $20 to $50 a month - you'd probably do better using your phone as a hotspot.

Agreed. Reverse that and use the phone as the hotspot to the car.

 

[DCGOO]

A lot of cars come with this now. It already has an LTE connection so all it has to do is broadcast it. I was disappointed when I found it doesn’t, I assumed it would.

Other cars require a separate subscription for that to work. Perhaps included as a promotion for a time. If you need something like that, it is very easy to pop a hotspot device into the OBDII port. Might even be cheaper! Check with your cellco. Most other cars require a separate Internet fee just to get entertainment streaming and NAV to work. At least we get that included (for a while).

 

[Uncle Paul]

The time will come when Tesla offers a mobile office set up, using the center screen and a data subscription service.

Some high end motor homes offer this as an option, but it requires a largish antenna on the roof. Works going down the road to surf your email.

That time is not here yet.

 

[golfbern]

Those services can cost $20 to $50 a month - you'd probably do better using your phone as a hotspot.

Yup, which is what I do. Luckily it’s a lot better than what it used to be a couple phones ago.

 

[tmxninja]

At the superchargers, Tesla has a connection to the chargers to monitor issues, so there must be some internet service already set up. Some of these chargers are in the middle of nowhere (especially outside of CA). Maybe a better solution is to allow wifi connection while at the supercharger.

I do like EV trip planner when chargers are sparse where I am going. The Tesla builtin browser doesn't play well with javascript. The vehicle type filed (cyclic selection) doesn't work in Tesla browser. Can I load a different browser, like Chrome, Firefox, etc?

 

[jboy210]

At the superchargers, Tesla has a connection to the chargers to monitor issues, so there must be some internet service already set up. Some of these chargers are in the middle of nowhere (especially outside of CA). Maybe a better solution is to allow wifi connection while at the supercharger.

I do like EV trip planner when chargers are sparse where I am going. The Tesla builtin browser doesn't play well with javascript. The vehicle type filed (cyclic selection) doesn't work in Tesla browser. Can I load a different browser, like Chrome, Firefox, etc?

I believe you are stuck with the browser. When I need a real browser I use my phone and cellular network, or turn on the phone hotspot and use a laptop or tablet.

Also, have you filled a bug with the trip planner team? Using that site from the Tesla browser would seem to be a reasonable use case.

 

[Alset8899]

This is what I'm trying since the beginning! Only the car doesn't see the hotspot! What I'm doing wrong?

 

[Silicon Desert]

This is what I'm trying since the beginning! Only the car doesn't see the hotspot! What I'm doing wrong?

It should if your hotspot is operating at 2.4 GHz, not at 5

 

[spectrum]

Be grateful that Tesla even provides LTE maps, streaming, and OTA updates for free (or cheap for new cars).

 

[dissadanno]

I would like to see this feature for the kids.

 

[tengtengvn]

Many other car manufactures offer LTE hotspot plan. My Chevy Volt has AT&T LTE hotspot. When we go camping and all of our phones were out of range, the car (probably with larger antenna) could still pick up LTE signal.

t-mobile has the ODBII hotspot as well.