Tesla electric cars may offer some of the most advanced automotive features, but there is one missing feature that sticks out for many customers: the integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Now, if you’re prepared to get a little nerdy, Polish developer Michał Gapiński has worked out a way to enable smartphone integration for Tesla owners via a clever hack.
The latest update of his “Tesla Android Project” brings the Apple CarPlay experience to more Tesla cars than ever before.
Having first gone live with an alpha release in April 2022, the current 2022.25.1 update is only the second release. It uses a Raspberry Pi combined with an LTE modem, Geekworm video capture modile, Wi-Fi access point, microHDMI to HDMI cable and Ethernet cable to enable connection to the car.
Posting on Twitter regarding the latest release, Gapiński said, “This is a huge release with a lot (of) new features and bug fixes that allow a 100% functional CarPlay integration for any Tesla!”
He wasn’t clear on which Tesla cars the software update has expanded the project to, but on the project’s Twitter account it is apparent that some Model S and Model X owners had successfully followed the instructions on his website to get it working. Now, it would appear that Model 3 and Model Y owners can also get in on the action.
Release notes for the new update include improved audio playback, loading times, error handling, display refresh rate, orientation lock so apps will open in landscape mode, and correct resolution for CarPlay display.
The hack has also been updated to Android 12.1 for improved stability and performance.
If you want to try it yourself, you can check out the Tesla Android Project site here.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.