Software add-on makes your Tesla smarter

Smartcar is enabling Tesla owners to personalize and automate their car's climate and charging settings using their smartphone.

While companies such as Google are still working on their driverless vehicles, true smart cars are still some way from consumer driveways. Earlier this year we saw the BDLink MX WiFi kickstarter campaign successfully fund a small widget that retrofits any car with smart capabilities. For Tesla owners, Smartcar is now enabling them to personalize and automate their car’s climate and charging settings using their smartphone.

As it stands, Tesla vehicles come with an array of high tech features, from the touchscreen dashboard to the energy-efficient batteries. However, Sahas Katta — CEO and founder of Smartcar — believes that they could achieve more when it comes to user experience. Through the web service, Smartcar users can connect their smartphone to their Tesla over the air, enabling them to easily change settings such as charging and inside climate. The software turns the car into a learning machine, which adjusts the settings intelligently based on drivers’ routines. For example, it may automatically start warming up the car at 9AM. It also charges during off-peak hours while still ensuring users have enough power when it’s time to hit the road. Owners can also get updates as to the status of their vehicle through their smartphones.

Watch the video below to see Katta explain more about the technology:

Smartcar was initially set to launch in the summer, but is still open to early access applications. Currently compatible with the Tesla Model S and Model X, the service also hopes to eventually launch for other vehicle brands. In the meantime, are there any other ways to retrofit new technology into existing vehicles?