All, I'm thinking of ordering a Tesla, but live in an area of poor cell coverage, certainly no 3G. I'll install a Wifi hotspot in my car port to cover all the 'at home' stuff, but can owners give me some input on how the car behaves when outside of cell coverage. Assuming I have the Tech pack with Nav, I guess I have one main question and then it's general discussion: 1. How do you enter a destination when Google has gone?? 2. What other 'features' stop when no service? Thanks for your help Regards Jon
Jon, The navigation system is separate from Google Maps (Garmin). I'm not sure you will able to set your destination without internet connectivity of some sort. Others may be able to elaborate. So, the navigation system does not require internet connectivity once set. I'm not sure if the logic that sets the Garmin is internet based or processed locally. Certainly you won't have any streaming radio service, however not streaming (XM, USB drive) works fine. No web browsing. Most of us lose internet connectivity throughout our drive. I find only the streaming services to be annoyingly affected.
Without internet access, you are limited to entering a destination as an exact address (ie no POI searching). Presuming the address entered matches what the Garmin system knows, it will route you.
Oh yaaah, I'm the world's expert on this! The NAV system works just fine when out of coverage area. Sort of. It will show you it knows exactly where you and your Tesla are: it will position that red Tesla arrow right there. In the middle of a fine, featureless set of gridlines. And (wait! there's more!) you can zoom in or out so the gridlines are larger and smaller. And you'll see as you travel the red arrow goes more quickly (zoomed in!) or slowly (zoomed out!). Pretty neat, huh? Now, of course I would never do it but there are those types who would endlessly frustrate the rhs by commenting "Ah! There we are! You see, dear: we're not lost at all."
That's great info thanks, I loved the 'lines' bit, which then leads me to further questions, I guess if you have a 2G connection the maps on the main screen load in that retro "dial-up" way, slow and painful? Therefore, all of that wouldn't really matter if the car remembered (cached) then map tiles all around where I live, as maps don't change frequently this would make sense, do any of you know if the map tiles are remembered through a car off/on cycle, through a reboot of the main screen, or downloaded every time? Thanks again for your help Jon - - - Updated - - - Also, I know there is no word on a proper 4G modem for the cars yet, but the mobile network used by Tesla in the UK (O2) is on a big 4G roll out and the masts around me might skip 3G. In an ironic way, I might have the best wireless speeds to my phone, but the car is still stuck on 2G dial up style! Questions questions! Oh and phoning both O2 and Tesla yields no answers.
Keyless entry and keyless driving don't work if you can't connect to the internet. Take that key with you anyway!