Will Android eventually run in Tesla?

[AnOutsider]

2012 Tesla Model S First Drive and Video

The cockpit of the 2012 Tesla Model S is dominated by a 17-inch touchscreen. It's reminiscent of a giant iPad, but is built around Android architecture as Google was an early investor in Tesla. It controls all of the car's major functions and should ensure that the Model S is both easy to update and to personalize.

[gmontem]

Below is the e-mail reply I received from a Tesla Motors rep on the 15th but never bothered to post in this forum. The response contains a signature footer by Peter Welch (Ownership Experience Advocate) which I did not include in the quote since I am unsure if I should be posting their direct e-mail address.

Happy Friday George,

You can relax by knowing that the base we build our UI on is not an Android build. It is based on UNIX, however, and there are plans to allow for app development on our "Platform."

So that's the good news. The mixed news, however, is that we will not be offering viewings of the test drive cars outside of those who are invited to drive and the guests they bring. Since it appears you like to check out the forums, perhaps an invited reservation-holder will be so kind as to invite you along. Heck, you may even get an invite yourself.

Regardless, enjoy this weekend and next.

Kind Wishes,


Ownership Experience Team
customer@teslamotors.com
1-877-77-TESLA (877-778-3752)

[Doug_G]

The OS is Linux, and it was provided by NVidia. It is not Android-based.

[agileone]

I'm a software engineer and I've done development on Linux, Android, and iOS, so I think I can help here.

Unless your requirements are dramatically different than what is already out there, reuse something that exists.

Same background as Citizen-T and totally agree with him.

Tesla missed a big opportunity to come out the gate with thousands of developer looking at adapting their EXISTING applications to this new Android platform.
They still could have acted as the gatekeeper, to preserve the User experience, by somehow acting as the only approved source of applications, i.e the Tesla App Store, (and collect $$ in the process)

Instead, we will be lucky to see a few apps in a few years, for such a small market .

There is a lot of Apple's "control the user experience"/walled garden attitude around everything Tesla, that in some cases, limit potential, like in the apps dimension. (Charging is another that comes to mind...)

My 2 cents...

[agileone]

The OS is Linux, and it was provided by NVidia. It is not Android-based.

Yes, most likely this linux derivative.

[VolkerP]

Tesla missed a big opportunity to come out the gate with thousands of developer looking at adapting their EXISTING applications to this new Android platform.

There is always a chance of adding an emulator for the Android environment. That emulator would need frequent updates to keep pace with the development speed of $100 throw-away devices. Tesla should not aim to update the in-car OS at that pace, otherwise it would be a challenge to control quality.
Android apps in an emulator would never make full use of being in an automotive environment, connecting with information from the car like location, speed, SOC, to make for a new user experience.

[AnOutsider]

Same background as Citizen-T and totally agree with him.

Tesla missed a big opportunity to come out the gate with thousands of developer looking at adapting their EXISTING applications to this new Android platform.
They still could have acted as the gatekeeper, to preserve the User experience, by somehow acting as the only approved source of applications, i.e the Tesla App Store, (and collect $$ in the process)

Instead, we will be lucky to see a few apps in a few years, for such a small market .

There is a lot of Apple's "control the user experience"/walled garden attitude around everything Tesla, that in some cases, limit potential, like in the apps dimension. (Charging is another that comes to mind...)

My 2 cents...

I sort of see it as "so?". How many android apps are ideal for a quick porting to a car? Quick tip calculators? Angrybirds? Even if the app makes sense, it should be rebuilt specifically for the model S environment, make it a simple matter of recompiling an API and we'll end up with a bunch of crap. Make the cost of admission higher and we get some quality, purpose-built apps. Remember, this isn't windows phone, the model s doesn't need a lot of apps to compete against other Eco systems. Give me quality over quantity.

[spatterso911]

I sort of see it as "so?". How many android apps are ideal for a quick porting to a car? Quick tip calculators? Angrybirds? Even if the app makes sense, it should be rebuilt specifically for the model S environment, make it a simple matter of recompiling an API and we'll end up with a bunch of crap. Make the cost of admission higher and we get some quality, purpose-built apps. Remember, this isn't windows phone, the model s doesn't need a lot of apps to compete against other Eco systems. Give me quality over quantity.

What AO said...And for goodness sakes, let's not introduce viruses into this car! Android has had issues with this, due to open architecture. It's a strong argument for protecting the garden. In addition, whatever is installed in this car must still leave a certain degree of liability to Tesla given that it can be used while driving (I'm glad that we have full access to that luscious panel while in motion). It is entirely possible that an app that sufficiently distracts the driver will kill this option for the rest of us, once a series of yokels start rear-ending people or striking pedestrians while angry-birding their way through traffic. You can't have everything, so enjoy everything about what you have.

[Citizen-T]

No, no. It's not about being able to port existing apps, it's about not having to learn a new environment with a new API, and all the costs associated with that. Developers aren't going to be easy to attract because it's a lot if work, and 20,000 cars a year is nothing when held against the several hundred thousand Android devices that are activated each day.

They should have tapped into this existing ecosystem, IMHO.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[unclfuzzy]

+1 AnOutsider and spatterso911 - I don't really see the vast majority of phone apps adding to my driving experience. And if there really is a case to be made for duplicating in the console an app I already have on my phone, it's probably worth my paying for it again. I see the Tesla App store as being more for truly useful (and expensive) apps developed by Tesla. I'll take Adaptive Cruise control for $1000 Alex.

I'm feeling lazy so I'm not going looking for it again, but a couple of days ago I read a post here or on Tesla's forum about a test driver who managed to hang the Tesla console with a bad MP3 or something. The "passenger seat advocate" had him hold both steering wheel buttons for several seconds and it rebooted. No effect on driving, but apparently the climate control stopped working during the reboot. I don't remember any talk of the console behind (in front of?) the steering wheel rebooting too... I imagine at least the "now playing" display and such would blank.