Tesla's myQ WiFi Garage Door Support, Its Cost, Features and How It Compares to HomeLink

The myQ settings menu in a Tesla

Not a Tesla App

In late 2022 Tesla added the ability to control your garage door over WiFi or cellular data through its myQ integration. For vehicles that do not include HomeLink, such as newer Model 3s and Model Ys, this is a great alternative to adding HomeLink to your vehicle, especially if your garage door already supports myQ.

Vehicles Supported

Almost all Teslas support myQ, which includes the Model 3, Model Y and the 2021+ Model S and Model X. Unfortunately, it currently does not support the legacy Model S and Model X, but support could be added at a later point.

Supported Regions

Tesla supports myQ integration in a wide variety of regions, but the feature is not available in every country. The list of supported countries includes the U.S. and Canada, although it leaves out other countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom. It's not clear why it's only available in some regions, but it could be due to where myQ currently supports their devices.

Supported Devices

Tesla's current myQ integration is exclusively for garage doors. Although myQ does support other devices such as gates in their app, Tesla's integration will not work with myQ cameras, lights or gates.

MyQ Hub

Newer garage door openers support myQ natively, but you can also add myQ to older garage door motors. The myQ hub works by connecting your garage door to the internet through the use of a wireless hub. The myQ hub is an affordable device that turns almost any garage door motor into a WiFi-capable garage door opener. The hub can be bought on Amazon for $30 or less.

Chamberlain's myQ hub turns your garage door opener into a Wi-Fi capable one

myQ

Subscription Cost

Although myQ does not charge a fee to remotely open and close garage doors through their mobile app, they do charge to use myQ integration in a Tesla and other vehicles. This is a similar model to how some software it free to use on a computer, but requires a subscription on your mobile phone.

MyQ offers various price points depending on the length of time. They range from $45/year to a 10-year subscription for $299. MyQ also offers a 5-year plan for $179. Although the subscription cost is high, it is still cheaper than Tesla's $350 installation cost for HomeLink.

Unfortunately, for owners who already have a HomeLink module installed, paying for myQ doesn't make a lot of sense. However, there are some advantages to having myQ instead of HomeLink.

MyQ Settings

Tesla's myQ integration is very similar to HomeLink, and better in some ways. On the myQ settings screen, you have a list of supported devices running down the left side. On the right side, you'll see options about the device selected, such as its current state, and options such as auto-open, auto-close and auto-fold mirrors.

You'll be able to set or reset your garage door's location, which uses your vehicle's current GPS location. You'll want to set this when your vehicle is directly in front of your garage. You can also have your vehicle chime when the auto-open or auto-close feature is about to activate.

If you've used HomeLink before, this integration is very similar. Although the UI is slightly different, the features are almost the same as the ones offered through HomeLink.

Differences Between myQ and HomeLink

There are a few differences between myQ integration and HomeLink. Neither system is the clear winner, and the one that is right for you will depend on various factors.

Advantages of myQ

MyQ is a smarter system with additional sensors, so it offers a few advantages over the older HomeLink standard.

MyQ Fixes the Auto-Open Feature

During installation myQ has you add a sensor to each of your garage doors. This sensor lets myQ know whether your garage door is open or closed. Your Tesla will even display the state of the garage door, letting your check whether your garage is open or closed from anywhere in the world. Although myQ also keeps track of how long ago your garage door was opened or closed, this information does not show up in your Tesla.

Since myQ knows the state of your garage door, it can help prevent some issues that are seen in HomeLink. One of the biggest issues with HomeLink is due to it not knowing whether your garage door is already open. With myQ you will no longer arrive home when your garage door is opened, only to have your auto-open feature close the garage door on you. Since myQ knows the state of your garage door, it will only trigger the open and close commands when needed.

MyQ Works From Further Away

Another advantage of myQ is that it leverages your Tesla's internet connectivity. MyQ will send the signal to open or close your garage door over the internet, letting you open your garage door from anywhere in the world. However, the most practical advantage of using the internet to open your garage door is that you set your garage door to auto-open from much further away. This gives your garage door time to fully open before you arrive. MyQ does not require you to have Tesla's Premium Connectivity feature in order to use it.

Additional Devices

HomeLink has a hard limit of three devices. Although this is enough for most people, you may find yourself hitting the limit if you also have gates you may want to open or would like to program your Tesla to open the garage door at your parent's house. MyQ does not have a limit to the number of garage doors you can program, giving you additional flexibility. If your vehicle also supports HomeLink, this could free up some HomeLink presets, letting you use it for devices that myQ doesn't support.

Disadvantages of myQ

Although myQ is certainly the smarter garage door system, HomeLink does have some advantages over myQ as well, mainly around reliability and setup.

MyQ Subscription

HomeLink is free to use, so if your vehicle already has HomeLink integration, it could be the obvious choice. Nowadays many of us already have more monthly subscriptions than we'd like to, so myQ's subscription cost will certainly be a turnoff for some owners.

Requires Internet

Since myQ uses the internet to control your garage door, it could be less reliable than HomeLink. Not only is myQ relying on your vehicle's cellular connection, but it's also relying on your home's internet connection and the hub's connection to WiFi. If you live in an area with poor cellular reception, have a weak WiFi signal in your garage, or have frequent internet outages, HomeLink may be the more reliable system.

Hub Setup

If your garage door doesn't support myQ already, then you'll need to add a myQ hub. This requires an additional device and setup, whereas the HomeLink module works directly with your garage door. HomeLink is essentially an additional remote for your garage door that is built into your Tesla.

If you're adding a hub, myQ also requires you to mount a wireless sensor on your garage door. This sensor lets myQ know whether your garage door is opened or closed. MyQ also requires you to set up a myQ hub that will communicate with your home's network, your garage door and the wireless sensor.

The hub needs to be placed in your garage, although it does not require you to wire anything to your garage door motor or buttons. The hub only requires access to WiFi and a power outlet.

The myQ hub does various things. First, it's the device that will receive the signal over the internet to open your garage door. It will also communicate wirelessly with your myQ garage door sensor and your garage door motor. Although myQ's setup is painless, it does introduce additional points of failure that HomeLink simply doesn't have.

MyQ Signal Delay

MyQ will often introduce a delay when closing your garage door for additional safety. When you close your garage door you may often hear beeping and see the light on your myQ hub flash, alerting any bystanders that the garage door is about to close.

The delay between when you tap to close your garage door and when it starts to close is about 8 seconds. If you're leaving home and close the garage door from your car, it can often leave you wondering if the system is working. There is never a delay when opening your garage door using myQ.

Although myQ integration is well executed and provides some advantages over HomeLink, it does have a few drawbacks of its own. For owners who don't have a HomeLink module installed in their vehicles, it offers a more affordable and easier solution than adding HomeLink to their cars.

New Castings Spotted at Giga Texas Likely Intended for Tesla Cybercab

@JoeTegtmeyer

Tesla’s Giga Texas factory usually gives us the first site of Tesla’s upcoming products. We first saw the Cybertruck and Model Y castings here. With Giga Texas being one of Tesla’s largest factories, it’s logical that most products would originate here.

Tesla has also stated that it intends to manufacture the Cybercab, Semi, the next-generation vehicle, and Optimus at Giga Texas over the coming years. The affordable vehicle and Cybercab were originally intended to be manufactured at Giga Mexico, but the plans for that facility were waylaid by changes in economic policy.

Robotaxi Castings

These new castings were spotted by Joe Tegtmeyer, who regularly does drone flights of Giga Texas. Joe pointed out that these castings don’t look like the usual Model Y or Cybertruck castings usually seen outside Giga Texas.

With an eagle eye, @minusYCore on X also spotted some interesting text on the frames holding the castings up. In particular, the castings say “RTTX050” and “W68-RSF AS-CAST”. These could be interpreted as ‘Robotaxi Texas’ and ‘Rear SubFrame.’ The as-cast portion indicates that these particular castings haven’t been trimmed yet, according to the X user.

The castings laid out.

@JoeTegtmeyer

The size and shape of these castings—combined with rumors that Tesla’s more affordable vehicle has been delayed—suggest they are intended for the Cybercab.

These castings are much flatter and appear to be a different size than the castings found elsewhere throughout Giga Texas, indicating that they are intended for a different product entirely.

It’s possible that these are the first castings used by Tesla to test their unboxed assembly process, which the Cybercab is expected to rely on. If you take a closer look at the video below, you’ll note that these new castings look very similar to the ones in the unboxed assembly video.

Interestingly, Tesla did say that they don’t intend to have the Cybercab available for customers before late 2026 or early 2027, but we’ll likely hear updated timelines as Tesla’s Q1 2025 Earnings Call tomorrow.

A more vertical look at the castings.

@JoeTegtmeyer

New Giga Presses

To top it all off, new parts for a Giga Press - the machine Tesla uses to make these castings - were also sighted in Texas. These machines are few and far between, and each one is highly specialized for the particular vehicle it produces. Seeing new parts coming in usually indicates that a new assembly line is under construction, or that changes are being made to an existing line to either expand it or update it.

There’s a lot happening and we will hopefully know more tomorrow evening.

New Giga Press parts

@JoeTegtmeyer

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PepsiCo Building Additional Tesla Semi Chargers

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s first large-scale partner for the Tesla Semi - PepsiCo - is building out another Semi Megacharger site per a recent filing found by MarcoRP. Building out these Semi charging sites is expensive due to their much higher power output when compared to Superchargers.

Name Change

Interestingly enough, Tesla appears to have shifted its terminology recently, now often referring to the Semi’s high-power charging solution as Tesla Semi Chargers instead of the previously common "Megachargers." Regardless of the name, these chargers are crucial for the Semi. They’re designed to deliver 1.2 megawatts of charging power capable of adding hundreds of miles of range in roughly 30 minutes.

Frito-Lay Site

The new site detailed in the recent filing will be located at a Frito-Lay production plant on Hageman Road in Bakersfield, California. Permits were filed just a couple of days ago for the installation of eight Tesla Semi Charger stalls along with their associated electrical equipment.

This facility adds to PepsiCo's existing network of chargers, supporting the Tesla Semis operating out of their Sacramento facility, and highlights Bakersfield as the next expansion of the Semi’s operational area. Notably, this new Frito-Lay charging site is strategically located just five miles (approx. 8 km) away from a massive future public charging complex Tesla is planning on Kelton Way.

Kelton Way Charging Complex

Tesla’s planned charging complex in Bakersfield, which is just down the road, will feature 72 Supercharger stalls, as well as 18 Semi charger stalls. According to pre-permits filed last month, this site will be fairly large and accessible to both the public and Tesla’s partners.

A rendering of the Kelton Way site - with the Semi Chargers on the outside, and the Covered Supercharger site in the center.

@MarcoRPi1 on X

Tesla plans to develop a vacant plot right off the interstate into a large charging hub, which is now the second major public Semi Charger site we’ve heard about. For now, these sites will remain rare, but we expect that Tesla and its partners will be happy to expand them out further as required.

Carson Semi Charger Site

These Bakersfield developments – both the private Frito-Lay site and the large public Kelton Way hub will help lay out the necssary infrastructure for the Tesla Semi, much like the early days of Tesla’s Superchargers. Since Semi cannot be charged at a Supercharger site (the MCS plug is notably different than NACS), these sites are a must-have.

Tesla's first publicly accessible Semi Charger site planned near the Port of Long Beach in Carson, California, was one of the first signs of these types of Semi Charger facilities being established - and like Kelton Way, it also includes amenities for truck drivers. Tesla is also considering what long, medium, and short-haul truckers need for their stays at these sites.

As Tesla works to ramp up production of the Semi itself, the parallel expansion of dedicated, high-power charging infrastructure by both Tesla and its key partners are essential to making electric heavy-duty trucking a reality.

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