Samsung to Integrate Tesla Solar and Powerwall Products into SmartThings Via New Tesla APIs

January 9, 2024

By Kevin Armstrong

Samsung Collaboration With Tesla for SmartThings Energy

Not a Tesla App

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Tesla, Inc. have unveiled a strategic partnership that promises to redefine the landscape of home energy management. Announced just ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show 2024, this alliance focuses on integrating Samsung's SmartThings Energy with Tesla's suite of energy products, including the Powerwall home battery, Solar Inverter, Wall Connector charging solutions, and electric vehicles.

The integration, enabled by Tesla's new APIs, marks Samsung's commitment to creating more convenient and seamless home experiences. According to Chanwoo Park, EVP and Head of the IoT Development Team of the Device Platform Center at Samsung Electronics, "Tesla Energy’s customers can now manage and monitor the power status of their homes through SmartThings Energy and Samsung devices in addition to the Tesla app, ensuring more access and connectivity."

The Significance of Integration

This collaboration is not just a technological feat but a consumer-centric move. Samsung's SmartThings Energy will now be able to display detailed information about energy production, storage, and usage, offering users unprecedented control and insight into their home's energy ecosystem. For instance, in scenarios of extreme weather events, SmartThings Energy will sync with Tesla’s Powerwall “Storm Watch” function. This means users will receive alerts on their connected Samsung TVs and mobile devices, preparing them for power disruptions and outages.

Moreover, the integration extends to Tesla's electric vehicles, with SmartThings Energy capable of monitoring and controlling the charging status of Tesla EV batteries and the power generated by solar panels. Drew Baglino of Tesla highlights the significance of the collaboration, "At Tesla, we are excited to add the capability to our products to interact with other intelligent devices and software in customers’ homes... We are pleased that Samsung has chosen to be an early developer, given their leading position in consumer smart home technology." The two companies have also worked together on making the chips that power Full Self Driving.

Broader Implications for Sustainability

The broader implications of this partnership are far-reaching. Samsung's use of the Tesla API aligns with its ongoing efforts toward the Net Zero Home project, aiming to enhance the multi-device experience of SmartThings users and contribute positively to sustainable energy practices. This collaboration is a step towards a future where smart homes are interconnected and play a pivotal role in energy conservation and sustainability.

The first glimpse of this integration will be showcased at the Samsung booth at CES 2024, with the actual service expected to launch in the second quarter of 2024. While the full extent of the features is still under development, the announcement alone signals a major shift in how consumers will interact with and manage home energy systems in the near future.

Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

December 14, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series.

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

December 13, 2024

By Karan Singh

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer.

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips.

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.