New cell phone app: Tesla Tattler --- works on all cell phones

[W.Petefish]

The first generation (Tattler) solution is to use SMS. The next generation (new SW on same tattler hardware) solution is to have the tattler act as a peer to peer wifi node with a flash based web UI (oh wait, iPhone doesn't support flash, make that java UI).

Java is good, as it can be cross compiled to iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Microsoft. Using a web based UI would also allow you to be on Wifi with your laptop/tablet and initiate charging or a cool down cycle.

As discussed in the Charging Lessons thread, can this send a message when the charging is stopped prematurely while the roadster is locked? (I mean similar to the ChargePoint network notifications.)

[scott451]

As discussed in the Charging Lessons thread, can this send a message when the charging is stopped prematurely while the roadster is locked? (I mean similar to the ChargePoint network notifications.)

Yes. If the charge stops for any reason, you get a message. If the alarm goes off, you get a message. You can get periodic messages as to the status of the charge. And in a future version, if you arrive home and the battery is hot, you get a nag message to plug in the car.

[strider]

So any thoughts on whether this could be used as an anti-theft device? If someone is driving it and you issue the lock command what will the car do? If the person still has the key can they just hit the unlock button and it'll disarm? Is there some other command we could use to shut the car down remotely?

So far I have never used a public charging station but would like to use it as a way to be notified if someone trips the alarm. I'm also intrigued by other "advanced" things we'll be able to do like set custom charge rates, etc.

[scott451]

So any thoughts on whether this could be used as an anti-theft device? If someone is driving it and you issue the lock command what will the car do? If the person still has the key can they just hit the unlock button and it'll disarm? Is there some other command we could use to shut the car down remotely?

AFAIK, there is no way to shutdown the car from the VDS (IP)bus. The Tattler could hobble the car by remotely putting the car into Valet mode.

The tattler could also be told to send periodic GPS position updates, so you could at least track the car. And you could remotely lock the car and when the thief gets out, the alarm would sound.

I'm also intrigued by other "advanced" things we'll be able to do like set custom charge rates, etc.

In theory, the Tattler can do anything the VDS can do, including VDS debug screen. The tattler is essentially a "remote VDS". Any limits imposed by the VDS (like charge limits) can be overridden by the tattler. Any limits imposed by other systems in the car (e.g. PEM minimum charging current) it cannot override.

[dsm363]

Does this affect the warranty on the Roadster in any way? This is looking really awesome. Thanks again for working on this.

[strider]

Does this affect the warranty on the Roadster in any way? This is looking really awesome. Thanks again for working on this.

In the US we have the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act which in practice states that if a manufacturer denies a warranty claim due to a modification they (the manufacturer) must prove that the modification caused the problem - otherwise they have to fix it. So if a wheel falls off they can't point to the Tattler and deny your warranty claim.

[Slackjaw]

Are these guys playing Word Association?

Hong Kong Tesla Roadster Rally | Motoring | Asia Tatler

Tatler... Tesla... very suspicious...

Edit: I didn't actually know what "Tattler" meant until I just googled it. A glaring gap in my British education... Will mention it to the Ambassador.

[S-2000 Roadster]

Scott, can you explain the "cool down" feature with any more detail?
Is there any existing feature on the Roadster that corresponds to this?
I see a target temperature, but is that for the battery coolant or for the ESS itself?
Finally, assuming that the cool down feature is unique to your Tesla Tattler, how did you discover it?

[dsm363]

Also, why isn't the cool down feature something Tesla would automatically include? Seems like a great idea.

[tomsax]

Scott, can you explain the "cool down" feature with any more detail?
Is there any existing feature on the Roadster that corresponds to this?
I see a target temperature, but is that for the battery coolant or for the ESS itself?
Finally, assuming that the cool down feature is unique to your Tesla Tattler, how did you discover it?

Scott invented the cool down feature, it's not really a feature of the car. If you start a charge with a warm battery pack, the car will try to cool the pack as it starts the charge. The Tattler automates and optimizes use of this to get a cool down feature with very little charging.

The target temperature is for the battery pack (ESS).

Also, why isn't the cool down feature something Tesla would automatically include? Seems like a great idea.

Indeed. I suggested that Tesla implement a feature that would allow the car to draw power from the wall to cool down the battery pack, but not charge until the scheduled time. I was told it couldn't be done, that the cooling process only works when the car is charging. So I suggested it do as little charging as possible until the battery is cool. I got back this reply from a Tesla engineer via my customer service representative:

The idea of allowing you to cool the pack while only pulling enough energy from the wall to do so is something that we've talked about. Unfortunately, although the idea is simple, there are some significant hurdles in implementing.

Scott and I thought of it independently. I'll bet plenty of other owners have realized the value of a cooldown feature, especially those who pay time-of-use rates. Tesla says they thought of it, but couldn't figure out how to do it. And yet a motivated owner with no help from Tesla figured out a way to do it. I let you, kind readers, decide what the engineer meant by "significant hurdles."