Tesla vehicles receive constant updates to improve functionality, add features, improve reliability and even add games. Teslas will also send you notifications on your phone when your car alarm goes off, if you left your car unlocked, or if the charge level is critically low.
What is Premium Connectivity?
All Teslas come standard with WiFi and cellular modems. When connecting to WiFi either through your home's network or through a hotspot, most features in your Tesla are free to use. However when utilizing your car's cellular connection some features are limited to Tesla's premium connectivity package.
Cost of Premium Connectivity?
Tesla's Premium Connectivity package currently costs $10/month per car in the US. Cars sold before June 30, 2018 include free premium connectivity.
As of February 2022, Tesla has also added a yearly plan for Premium Connectivity in the US. The price of the annual plan is $99/year. You can subscribe to the monthly or the yearly plan by using the Tesla app. In the Tesla app go to the Upgrades section and then tap Manage. If you currently subscribe to the monthly plan, you can also switch to yearly in this same section.
What is included for free, without Premium Connectivity?
The most important data features are included for free in your Tesla, such as phone notifications, software updates, updated navigation maps and even optimal navigation routing that takes live traffic into account.
What does Premium Connectivity include?
The features that require premium connectivity have mostly to do with entertainment while parked or driving. Keep in mind that all entertainment features are available to you if you're connected to WiFi or a hotspot.
Entertainment features that require premium connectivity include music streaming, such as Slacker and Spotify. It also includes video streaming services while parked such as Netflix, Disney+, YouTube and a few others. Keep in mind that some of those services still require a subscription. For example, YouTube is available for free, but Netflix requires a paid subscription. Tesla's premium connectivity simply lets you use the car's data connection to stream those services.
Additional services included in Premium Connectivity are:
Internet browser - Browse the web to look up restaurants, destinations or other information. It can be used by the passenger while driving.
Caraoke - Tesla's version of Karaoke which features hundreds of songs and displays the lyrics on the screen.
Satellite view maps - This displays satellite imagery in your navigation instead of just the terrain view with streets.
Live traffic visualizations - Traffic visualizations will show you which roads are congested and where traffic jams are located by coloring in the roads in various colors. The traffic view can be turned on or off by tapping the Live Traffic icon on the right side of the maps.
Traffic Along Route - With Premium Connectivity, your route will be colored in various colors to highlight the areas with traffic.
Traffic Lights and Speed Camera Icons - Traffic lights, stop signs, speed camera locations and other icons are displayed on the map.
Traffic in Trip Progress Bar - The vehicle's trip progress bar will show you an overview of the traffic along your entire trip.
Sentry Mode Videos in the App - If your video has Sentry Mode armed and there is an event, the Tesla app will notify you with a notification of the event and a one-minute video clip. The video clips can also be viewed in the app.
Sentry Mode Live Access - You can view the live feed of most cameras on the vehicle within the app. Simply make sure Sentry Mode is activated and go to Security and tap on live view.
Average Speed Zones - If your region uses average speed zones, your Tesla will now display when the speed zone started, how much longer until it ends and your average speed.
Zoom - You can connect to meetings with the Zoom app (AMD Ryzen processor vehiciles only)
Steam - You can download and play some Steam games on Model S and Model X vehicles that have access to Steam.
*These features are only available in some vehicles. Steam requires a 2021+ Model S or Model X with 16GB of ram or more, but it's not available on every model. Zoom is only available on vehicles with the AMD Ryzen processor.
Can I share my phone's data (hotspot) with my Tesla?
Yes, with software update 2021.24 and later, you can now choose to share your phone's data connection with your Tesla. It'll get you access to most of the features included with premium connectivity such as music streaming, internet browsing and you'll be able to use all of them while driving.
However there are two features that aren't available without Tesla's premium connectivity, even if you're using your phone as a hotspot. They include the live traffic visualization and the satellite imagery in maps.
Those two features aren't included when on WiFi or using a hotspot because they cost Tesla more than just the data to get them to you. Google provides Tesla both of those features for a fee. Tesla is simply including those fees they pay Google in their premium connectivity package price. So Tesla decides to not provide these features unless you're paying for the premium package.
One of the most common questions new Tesla owners have is about "phantom drain" – the energy your car consumes while it's parked. While Teslas are incredibly efficient, there is still some drain due to certain features being enabled or due to the vehicle’s battery management system (BMS).
While you can’t turn off the BMS, which maintains your battery at an ideal temperature, you can ensure that no features are enabled that consume energy while your vehicle is parked. This is especially important when leaving your vehicle for long periods, such as going on vacation.
We’ll go through all Tesla features that consume energy even when the vehicle is turned off.
As a note, almost all of the features below will automatically disable themselves if your vehicle's battery drops to 20%, thereby preventing them from completely draining your battery. However, this isn’t always enough if you’re leaving your vehicle for several days since the BMS will remain on to protect your battery.
Sentry Mode
Sentry Mode is one of the biggest energy drainers, but it’s also one of the most useful features. It helps protect your vehicle with a 360-degree video security system that surrounds your vehicle, providing alerts and recordings in the event of an incident.
Sentry Mode continuously processes video from up to six of your vehicle’s cameras. This requires leaving the Autopilot computer and cameras active, resulting in high energy usage. Sentry mode consumes roughly one to two miles worth of battery per hour, but this number varies depending on your specific model. The average person drives about 32 miles per day (12k miles per year), which means that Sentry Mode costs about 50% of the cost of driving the vehicle.
There’s no doubt that Sentry Mode is useful, but it should be used selectively in areas that may be more prone to break-ins.
You can turn Sentry Mode on or off by going to Controls > Safety > Sentry Mode on your vehicle touchscreen. You can enable Sentry Mode for single instances by going to Controls > Sentry Mode, which will turn it on for that one parking session only. You can also exclude locations where Sentry Mode won’t come on, such as Home, Work or locations listed in your favorites.
Sentry Mode can also be enabled or disabled from the Tesla App from Security & Drivers > Sentry Mode.
Cabin Overheat Protection
Not a Tesla App
Cabin Overheat Protection helps to keep the interior of your car from reaching dangerously high temperatures on hot days. This does not keep humans or pets safe, but it does help to keep temperature-sensitive items at a more reasonable temperature if you leave them inside, such as electronics.
You can turn it on and adjust the settings from Controls > Safety > Cabin Overheat Protection. The feature offers three options: Off, No A/C, and On.
The No A/C option will use the fan to circulate air once the cabin temperature exceeds 105ºF without using the A/C. This option helps conserve energy while also usually preventing the vehicle from getting too hot. However, if the vehicle is parked in the sun on an extremely hot day, it can still reach temperatures of 130ºF or higher.
In most cases, it does help keep the steering wheel and seats cooler and it’s a good balance between keeping the option off completely or having it use high amounts of energy.
If you select the AC option, you can set the activation temperature to 90°F (32 °C), 95°F (35°C), or 100°F (40°C). The chosen temperature and the temperature outside will play a significant role in how much energy this feature actually uses, especially on a hot summer day.
Cabin Overheat Protection has no bearing on the safety or functionality of your vehicle and only operates for up to 12 hours after leaving the vehicle. We generally don’t recommend enabling this feature unless you have a specific reason to do so.
You can also enable or disable Cabin Overheat Protection, as well as adjust the operating temperature from the Tesla app by selecting Climate and then swiping up on the temperature module at the bottom of the screen.
Keep Accessory Power On
Not a Tesla App
Now available on all vehicles as of Tesla’s 2025 Spring Update, Keep Accessory Power will keep your 12V power sockets and USB ports active without needing to use Camp Mode. This also keeps the wireless phoen chargers enabled, letting you charge or power a device while you’re not in the vehicle. However, this option does use a good amount of energy, even if there are no devices plugged in.
The Model Y and Model X include a 12V socket in the rear left pillar of the vehicle, alongside a 12V socket in the front of the vehicle. The Model 3 and Model S only have a 12V socket in the front of the vehicle. For the Cybertruck, this feature keeps the 120V and 240V in the rear active as well.
You can turn this feature on by going to Controls > Charging > Keep Accessory Power On. This feature is disabled by default and is turned off once the vehicle battery drops to 20% or below. However, it will remain on any time the vehicle has a 20% or higher state of charge, which could cause long-term battery drain issues.
This feature should only be used when you actively need it and then should be turned off. Several people have fixed their battery drain issues in their vehicles after realizing this option was left on.
Similar to Sentry Mode, this feature can use up to one mile per hour of range when enabled, even if there are no devices plugged in. It will consume slightly more energy while charging devices, depending on the device.
Summon Standby
Summon Standby keeps your car in a low-power state, meaning that the vehicle’s Autopilot is asleep, but not turned off. When the vehicle receives a summon request, it’s ready to go almost instantly, instead of the user having to wait for the vehicle to wake up and power on.
Without Summon Standby, it can take 30 seconds to a minute for Summon to be available through the Tesla app.
This feature doesn’t draw as much power as Sentry Mode, but it’s similar. It can consume about 0.5 to 1 mile of range per hour. We don’t recommend keeping this option on unless you Summon your vehicle often.
Note: If you keep Sentry Mode on, Summon is also available immediately, as the Autopilot computer is already powered on and the vehicle doesn’t go to sleep.
Third-Party Services
Third-party apps that track your car’s data through the Tesla API can wake up your vehicle or prevent it from sleeping properly. While Tesla’s API has been improved to prevent some of these issues, the newest features aren’t available for the legacy Model S and Model X.
These services will only cause a noticeable difference in battery drain if they’re preventing your vehicle from falling asleep. You can tell if your vehicle is asleep by opening the Tesla and seeing the status of your vehicle in the top left corner.
Scheduled Preconditioning
enjustice3192/Reddit (Edited by NATA)
You can schedule times for your vehicle to automatically precondition the cabin, letting you get into a prefectly warmed or cooled vehicle every morning and evening. While this feature is great if you have a consistent schedule, it can also be the cause of some additional battery drain.
Preconditioning your cabin, either through the scheduled process or manually as a one-time action through the Tesla app, also warms up the battery, which can help improve regenerative braking on cold days or speed up Supercharging on trips.
If possible, keep your vehicle plugged in while preconditioning, as it will draw power from the wall unit instead of the vehicle battery, preventing the vehicle’s range from being lowered. Even a 120v plug can help in these situations.
You can check or adjust your vehicle’s scheduled preconditioning times by going to Controls > Schedule in the vehicle or navigating to Schedule in the Tesla app.
Climate - Dog, Camp, and Keep Modes
Not a Tesla App
Tesla also offers several options to keep your climate system running once you’ve exited the vehicle, either to keep it warm or cool while you’re making a stop.
To enable or disable any of these settings, swipe up from the temperature on your vehicle display while the vehicle is in Park, and then touch Dog Mode, Camp Mode, or Keep Climate.
Dog Mode
Dog Mode is designed to keep a comfortable temperature for your pet while active. You can monitor the temperature remotely, as well as see into the Cabin Camera while Dog Mode is active. This mode also displays the current cabin temperature on the center display, helping inform nearby passersby that your pet is safe and comfy.
As a note, Dog Mode disables the window controls inside the vehicle.
Camp Mode
Camp Mode enables you to power electronics through the USB ports (or low-voltage outlets) while maintaining cabin temperature. The touchscreen also remains on, allowing you to listen to music, play games, or watch movies. The doors will also remain unlocked, and Tesla’s walk-away door lock feature will be disabled. This is ideal to use when you’re stepping away from the vehicle with someone still inside it and want the doors to stay unlocked and the alarm to remain off.
Keep Climate
Keep Climate will keep the vehicle’s temperature at the currently selected temperature while you step away. All other features remain on, such as auto door locking. This is a good option if you’re running in quickly to pick up a child at school or daycare and want to keep your vehicle comfortable without having to remember to preheat or precool the vehicle. Keep Climate will stay enabled for up to two hours, or until the battery reaches 20%, so it isn’t a long-term cause of battery drain.
While Tesla vehicles come with numerous useful features, it’s important to know which ones consume energy even when your vehicle is parked, which could offset any potential gas savings. Use these features selectively when needed, rather than leaving them on 24/7, as they’ll continue to consume power even through the night when you’re unlikely to take advantage of them.
If you’re experiencing issues with battery drain, we recommend going through this list of features and confirming that each one is turned off.
In a move that has both surprised and frustrated Tesla and non-Tesla owners, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is actively removing Tesla Superchargers from its service plazas, replacing them under an exclusive agreement with Applegreen Electric—the company that operates the plazas.
This transition, which was officially announced by the Tesla Charging account on X, will see all 64 of Tesla’s V3 Supercharger stalls removed from the Turnpike. This has raised some eyebrows, especially as the Applegreen sites, which will only feature CCS1 plugs, won’t be online until later this year.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority ("NJTA") has chosen a sole third-party charging provider to serve the New Jersey Turnpike and is not allowing us to co-locate. As a result, NJTA requested 64 existing Supercharger stalls on the New Jersey Turnpike to not be renewed and be… pic.twitter.com/sosNIwMfYu
Tesla’s presence on the Turnpike dates back to 2014 when the NJTA granted Tesla a pilot license for just eight Supercharger stalls. That then rapidly expanded, and by the end of 2023, Tesla had 64 V3 Supercharger stalls active across the Turnpike, boasting their usual impressive 99.9% uptime, with a 30% lower cost than competitors nearby.
With the increasing adoption of the North American Charging Standard (NACS) by other automakers, Tesla's network is becoming the de facto fast-charging standard for a growing number of non-Tesla EVs, which makes this decision even harder to justify. Not only will Tesla vehicles be unable to charge at these locations, but many new EVs with NACS ports will also be left out.
Applegreen
Applegreen’s chargers are less than ideal. They resemble gas stations for EVs, which is a huge step back from Tesla’s elegant solution. Besides currently only supporting CCS1 and CHAdeMO charging connectors, which leaves out the majority of EVs, they also provide a worse charging experience.
These locations are often more expensive than Tesla Superchargers, but just like Tesla, the price does vary by location. We spot-checked several locations and noticed that prices were roughly about 10% higher per kWh than a similar Tesla charger nearby. Applegreen’s chargers also include screens and a credit card slot, requiring customers to pay for their charging sessions, just as they would for gasoline.
While we don’t have statistics on their uptime, it’s hard to argue that it’d be better than Tesla’s, which has live monitoring and often fixes issues within hours, which was recently demonstrated when it rebuilt a Supercharger less than 48 hours after it was burned down. Many users complain of Applegreen’s chargers, saying they don’t work or are difficult to use. Their app on iOS currently has a 1.9 rating out of 5.
Tesla’s Proposal
The landscape for EV charging on the Turnpike shifted in March 2023, when the NJTA amended its agreements with Applegreen to make it an exclusive offering. Despite Tesla offering what it cites as above-market terms, which included upgrading all Superchargers on the Turnpike to include Magic Docks (NACS + CCS1 chargers) for universal EV compatibility and card readers for better billing for non-Tesla owners. Tesla also offered to co-host, allowing Applegreen chargers and Tesla Superchargers to be located side by side. However, NJTA still declined to let Tesla keep any of its existing Superchargers online.
This is clearly a move for Applegreen to capitalize on its property and generate revenue by installing its own branded chargers. However, with Applegreen’s chargers only having CCS1 cables, calling them “universally” compatible while making Tesla’s seem exclusive to Tesla vehicles is laughable. This is clearly a step in the wrong direction that will hurt all EV owners. If anything, NJTA should be requiring Applegreen to maintain Tesla’s Superchargers on the premises, while also allowing Applegreen to install their own chargers.
NJTA instead announced that Tesla must decommission its Superchargers soon, which will leave EV drivers without viable options while traveling on the 117-mile-long NJ Turnpike. That’s millions of dollars of Tesla charging infrastructure that’s already being used - being removed without a replacement in place for potentially months.
The decision has been met with some widespread criticism over the last few days. The reduced options, reduced convenience, increased costs, and reliability concerns are chief among the concerns of Tesla and other EV drivers. However, the lack of transparency behind the decision, as well as the exclusivity to Applegreen, has led many to accuse the NJTA of corruption and backdoor deals, including Elon.
Anticipating the worst, however, Tesla’s Supercharging team has been working to ensure charging continuity. Between 2022 and today, Tesla has proactively built 116 replacement Supercharger stalls at eight new locations just off the Turnpike, anticipating this would happen. While this will make it less convenient for EVs reliant on NACS, it won’t leave them stranded without a place to charge. Tesla’s trip planner has already been adjusted to route drivers to these new sites as well.
While Tesla is clearly invested in expanding access to electric vehicle charging - whether for its own direct customers or for other EVs, it seems that some organizations believe the easiest way to meet “green goals” is to find the solution that’s best for their pocketbook.
We’re hoping that these types of exclusivity deals don’t become common as they harm all current EV owners and reduce electric vehicle adoption.
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