Uber Adds Support for Tesla Trip Navigation and Battery Awareness

September 12, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Many Uber drivers use Teslas – in fact, Uber and Tesla have a joint sales program that helps Uber drivers either get Tesla rentals, or purchase/lease their own Tesla using Uber’s EV Assistance Package.

Uber has now upped their game further by integrating two features directly into Tesla – Automatic Trip Navigation and Battery-Aware Matching.

Automatic Trip Navigation

Automatic Trip Navigation connects the Uber app with Tesla. This means that when an Uber driver accepts a trip, the pick-up destination will be automatically sent to the Tesla. Once you arrive and the passenger(s) enter, their destination is automatically set in your vehicle’s navigation so that you can begin your trip. This makes the process seamless and could even save a few minutes off each trip.

Battery-Aware Matching

Another perk that comes with connecting your Tesla and Uber accounts is Battery-Aware Trip Matching. This means that you’ll only see trips, including travel distance to the pickup area, as well as the trip itself – that are within your currently estimated battery range.

For Uber drivers, this is a fantastic feature that helps filter our trips you’re not able to complete without charging. Uber drivers will have an easier time planning trips, as well as planning for their next charge – whether that’s at home, or at a Supercharger.

Setup

Setup for both Navigation and Battery-Aware Matching is simple. In the eligible vehicles pane in the Uber App, you can hit the connect button next to your Tesla. You’ll then sign into your Tesla account and grant access to Uber. Uber uses the official Tesla API for third parties to determine the range left on your vehicle and to send destinations to your navigation system.

For iOS and Android, you’ll want to grant the necessary permissions by selecting the boxes next to Vehicle Information and Vehicle Commands and hit allow. On Android, you will also have to go to Menu > Account > Navigation and enable Tesla Navigation as the primary navigation.

These two new features make Tesla Uber driving an even more compelling pitch, as many Uber drivers already save quite a bit of money from driving a low-maintenance EV, alongside the reduced cost of electricity compared to gas.

Tesla's Robotaxi Event - We, Robot - Everything Announced

October 11, 2024

By Karan Singh

Sawyer Merrit on X

Did you miss Tesla’s biggest event since its inception? No worries, we have you covered.

We’ve got a straightforward and easy-to-digest recap below, split and organized by sections. Of course, we’ll dive into some of the bigger subjects in detail over the upcoming days, so stay tuned!

Event Info

Tesla’s We, Robot event was centered on the future of autonomy
5 “neighbourhoods” were created
Westworld offered Texas BBQ and the stage for the event
Metropolis had arcade games, and the ability to take a swing at Cybertruck
TSLA Theater had pizza and desserts, as well as a movie on a gigantic screen
New York brought a block party with live music and street performers, as well as street snacks
Finally, the last area was Merch – which, surprise – offered Tesla Merch, including gear, apparel, posters, and more
Elon Musk arrived in style in a Robotaxi to kick off the event

Master Plan Part 4 Reference Poster

Jowua on X

General/Master Plan Part 4

The event made multiple references to Master Plan Part 4, but we haven’t seen the official document yet
Today’s transportation infrastructure is too expensive, not safe, and not sustainable
10 hours a week of use of consumer vehicles out of 168 hours a week
Unsupervised Full Self Driving – Fall asleep and wake up at your destination
Increased free time for humans
Goal is to remove parking lots, as less will be needed in the future of autonomous vehicles
Create green space in the cities we live in

AI Poster

Jowua on X

Robotaxi/Cybercab

Not a Tesla App

The Cybercab has 2 doors, 2 seats, and is a 4-wheeler, as expected
It has a front and rear lightbar, similar to Cybertruck
Painted aluminum (not stainless steel)
No rear or top glass
No steering wheel or pedals
Butterfly doors
Large center screen
Has large, hatch-like trunk
20 vehicles produced and ready at the event, with 30 additional Model Ys
Autonomous vehicles will be 10x safer than humans
Low cost for autonomous transit; $1/mi for buses, Cybercab around $0.2/mi ($0.4 after taxes and fees)
Will be available for purchase
Will cost below $30,000 USD
One person will be able to take care of a small fleet easily
Cybercab production begins before 2027
Comes with inductive charging
Tesla Social Media mentioned Fleet Management software
Tesla showed off an automated cleaning system in the video, vacuuming the vehicle, wiping the seats and screens
CyberCab will still be Vision-only, no need for radar or LiDAR
Call it once, and its available for you all day, for either quick trips or long trips

Elon Musk Poster

Sawyer Merrit on X

RoboVan

Tesla showed off a fully autonomous RoboVan with no front window
Up to 20 people or can be set up for goods transport
RoboVan has a Cyber aesthetic as well
Large glass sliding doors
Tesla seems to be going all-in on this aesthetic for its future vehicles
RoboVan can be adapted to school bus or RV use
RoboVan can also be adapted for personal use – this suggests it could be outfitted with a steering wheel and pedals

The CyberVan arriving

Not a Tesla App

AI and Hardware

Unsupervised FSD in Texas and California in 2025, with Model 3 and Model Y
Unsupervised FSD for S, X, and CT in the future
AI has lived “a million lives” so it’s been trained on numerous odd situations
Always pays attention and is always fully aware of its surroundings
10-30x safer than humans
Focus on Tesla Vision – full autonomy, unsupervised for S, 3, X, Y, and CT
Cybercab will have AI5, will have oversized compute compared to what’s required according to Musk
Distributed inference compute brought up again
No news on inductive charging for other vehicles

The Optimus Poster

Jowua on X

Optimus

Optimus was brought out on stage again, walked with remote human assistance
Attendees were allowed to interact with Optimus robots
Optimus robots served drinks at the bar
Expected to cost $20K-$30K USD
Will eventually be an autonomous robotic assistant that can help with household tasks
It can also be a humanoid friend, teacher, babysitter, etc.
Elon mentioned the risks of AI Super Intelligence, and having to address it
At the event, people could talk and interact with the Optimus units on the ground. Optimus movements were remotely assisted by humans. The robots voices also appear to have be humans that were in a remote location.
Guests were not allowed to touch the Optimus units in the crowd

Another poster referencing Master Plan IV.

Jowua on X

If you missed the event, you can watch it below.

Tesla 'We, Robot' Robotaxi Event: How and Where to Watch [Updated]

October 10, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s Robotaxi event is coming up later today, and there’s lots of hype. It’s absolutely going to be a must-see event, so we’ve outlined how you can watch it tonight.

We’re even running a Robotaxi Event Prediction Contest – so go sign up to win some prizes from our fantastic sponsors.

If you weren’t one of the lucky lottery winners who managed to snag a ticket, there are a few ways to watch the Robotaxi event.

When

Tesla says the event will start at 10 PM EST or 7 PM PST. However, expect it to start fashionably late as usual. The agenda Tesla has provided is below.

Watch Live

The event is expected to be available on X, YouTube, and Tesla’s website. The links for X and YouTube are below. We’ll update this as the day goes along and Tesla adds additional sources.

Watch the Robotaxi event live on X.
Watch on YouTube (below)

Agenda

This is the agenda Tesla has provided. All times are PST.

3:00 PM: Parking Lot Opens

5:00 PM: Doors Open

5:30 PM: Check-In Begins

7:00 PM: Remarks

Watch in Tesla Showrooms

Tesla is also running events at its local showrooms worldwide. Many of these pop-up events have been organized by the Tesla showrooms or in conjunction with local Tesla Owner’s Club groups.

You can go to Tesla’s Events Page here and see if there are any showrooms open in your region. These events are in-person, and a good way to hang out with local Tesla fans and owners to watch one of the biggest events in Tesla’s history. If you don’t see an event listed, try calling your local Tesla showroom or contacting your local Owner’s Club. Other events may be running locally that you could attend.