How much are you prepared to pay for connectivity?

[yobigd20]

You're missing a option. I wont pay a dime, but connectivity is still very important. I plan on tethering it to one of my mobile hotspots that I'll just keep in the car.

 

[liuping]

I voted $15 for full connectivity but I think I am only willing to pay $10. For $10 extra a month I can turn my 4G phone into a hotspot and get connectivity that way. This all assumes that the phone app will still work without the plan. I believe it will.

I think $5-$10 is probably the proper amount well. I can audio stream with my phone just fine, and 7 years of map data is included in the tech package. Other data usage fairly rare, and if it's expensive, I'll just skip it all together.

 

[kendallpb]

I hope for $15, expect $20, and...I'm not sure if I'd pay over $20 or not.

 

[Discoducky]

I need to pay for maps (on 17") with the tech package? That should be included.

 

[jomo25]

I feel like I inspired this poll from my post this morning.

To me, the key questions are:
1. What functions will work/not work if you don't subscribe to a data plan?
2. How much will the data plan(s) cost?

For #1, I can live without Slacker/Maps/Browser/etc. For that, I can easily tether through my iPhone on my Verizon account. I rarely bump into my data limits on my account )shared within my family). And I won't even need to pay the extra $10 for a new "device". If anything, I might need to bump my data limit up from 4GB to 6GB, costing my $10 per month. No problem with that. Basically, anything I use while in the car would be covered.

But since my car won't be in a WiFi zone while parked at work, if not subscribing to data would disable the ability to connect to the car via the app to do things like pre-cool, start/stop charging, check charge status, then that would be a big loss. Tethering through my phone wont work for this use case. I would hope that that would still be enabled because it is central capability of the car, and that it would be covered under the "limited diagnostics data plan" that Tesla maintains even if I don't subscribe. (I'm assuming that Tesla will still need to, and pay for, such a limited plan to cover that access)

If app/remote access is not covered, then it almost mandates signing up for a data plan. And I'll feel trapped by Tesla to buy it, essentially meaning they can charge whatever, and I'd have to pay it, because that capability is absolutely necessary from my perspective. And if it's too high, I wont be happy about it (as I've said before when data plans were first hinted).

If it is included, and all I'd lose are functions that can be replaced via tethering while I'm in the car, then, I'd be willing to pay $15 per month to keep it and the convenience of not having to tether via my phone. (I'm allowing $5 for that convenience)

And I voted for the wrong one. I meant to vote for $15 for full connectivity. If there was an app only option, the most I'd pay is $5. But really, I think that should be free.

 

[NigelM]

You're missing a option. I wont pay a dime, but connectivity is still very important. I plan on tethering it to one of my mobile hotspots that I'll just keep in the car.

I envisaged that to be the first option in that you don't care about Tesla connectivity but will provide your own. I didn't phrase it very well as it was to also cover folks who didn't care at all.

 

[mitch672]

It doesn't matter what I'd pay, remember we ARE talking about Tesla, the same Tesla that overcharges for just about every option.
All of your guesses above are wrong, double them to get in the correct ballpark. They've been paying for data pans for thousands of cars coming up on a year soon, I'm betting they intend to recover this costs.

 

[rlang59]

I need to pay for maps (on 17") with the tech package? That should be included.

They need to do something about this. There is no reason that maps should go away for those with the tech package.

 

[NigelM]

It doesn't matter what I'd pay, remember we ARE talking about Tesla, the same Tesla that overcharges for just about every option.
All of your guesses above are wrong, double them to get in the correct ballpark.

You might be right but I hope not. Tesla has some pretty steep prices for add-on options, but in fairness they are also relatively low volume items and good enough quality. For most current owners connectivity is pretty darn important and too high prices is just going to tick off current owners and thereby impact future sales.....

 

[mitch672]

You might be right but I hope not. Tesla has some pretty steep prices for add-on options, but in fairness they are also relatively low volume items and good enough quality. For most current owners connectivity is pretty darn important and too high prices is just going to tick off current owners and thereby impact future sales.....

They hardly sell anything for under $500. I expect the 3G connectivity package will fall right in line with that, with perhaps discounts for multi year plans paid in advance. Expect about $42/month.. And it's unlikely to be billed monthly, it's going to be a yearly option. Too much administrative paperwork/overhead for monthly billing.

 

[stopcrazypp]

They hardly sell anything for under $500. I expect the 3G connectivity package will fall right in line with that, with perhaps discounts for multi year plans paid in advance. Expect about $42/month.

I actually don't expect that. Otherwise they would not be offering the tethering option. They'll probably just have you sign up directly with AT&T, esp. if Tesla has its own dedicated connectivity for remote diagnostics.

 

[ZBB]

They need to do something about this. There is no reason that maps should go away for those with the tech package.

Remember the Tech Package includes the on-board maps -- only those that appear to the left of the speedometer... There has been footnotes on their site and in the owner's manual stating that either a Connectivity Subscription or Connectivity Package was required for some of the center screen's functionality. Unfortunately they haven't been very clear about which, so this could pose a problem for Tesla...

 

[SteveW25561]

Another potential big issue is what happens when you cross a border? I'm enjoying my first road trip in my Tesla and literally typing this from my hotel (iPhone on WIFi, not from the MS) in Bellevue, WA after driving down from Vancouver, Canada.

On this trip, I'm obviously currently on Tesla's dime for the 3G and its been very useful for maps, iphone app connection to monitor charging at the Bellevue store and Slacker radio.

Now fast forward to when I'm on a Rogers plan and paying their astronomical US roaming data rates (or choose to enter into a black hole of no coverage).

I'd imagine the same applies to US Tesla owners coming up to Canada.

High roaming charges will happen unless we buy connectivity from Tesla (and not the local carrier) and if it includes international roaming. Given the costs of doing this I'll bet they won't offer that option.

The other downside of buying connectivity through Tesla vs your local cell company is you won't have the potential option to add the car as a "device" that shares your monthly cell plan bucket. In Canada Rogers does allow you to add other devices for I think $10/mo. But then we are back to the roaming issue again.

Hey maybe I'll get a mobile hotspot like Freedom Pop and tether the car to it via wifi when I drive across the border! Then I get free/cheap wireless data for use when I'm in the US!

Sigh! Such First World problems ...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[modulus]

That $15/250MB is all I'd need...I could swallow that.

Agree. $15 aint bad for the convenience and limited need

 

[AudubonB]

I wish I knew what you all were talking about, and what "connectivity" really means.

And yes, I am serious.

 

[mitch672]

I wish I knew what you all were talking about, and what "connectivity" really means.

And yes, I am serious.

The Model S has a built in 3G data connection. So far, there is no pricing for the data link for this feature,
On the new 5.0 firmware update, WiFi connectivity is finally being offered. We are guessing that soon, Tesla will be charging for the 3G connectivity.
Without the data conectivity, Slacker, the Google Maps, Internet browsing and perhaps even the smartphone app may not work (to monitor charging, start preheat/cool etc). now do you understand?

 

[stopcrazypp]

Remember the Tech Package includes the on-board maps -- only those that appear to the left of the speedometer

The reason for that is because the maps on the left of the speedometer are traditional GPS unit maps (Navstar if I remember correctly). The one in the center 17" screen are Google maps, of which there is no offline version available (outside of a limited cache function that can allow you to store up to a city's worth of maps).

 

[rlang59]

Remember the Tech Package includes the on-board maps -- only those that appear to the left of the speedometer... There has been footnotes on their site and in the owner's manual stating that either a Connectivity Subscription or Connectivity Package was required for some of the center screen's functionality. Unfortunately they haven't been very clear about which, so this could pose a problem for Tesla...

And it is of my opinion that those on-board maps should also show up on the center screen if you are not in a 3G area or do not have the connectivity package. Tesla uses Google maps so they can pretend that every car has on board navigation. If the maps on the center console go away without 3G when there is a map database in the car it is just laziness on their part. Some can rationalize it here as much as they want, but it still is unacceptable as far as I am concerned.

 

[AudubonB]

Thank you, Mitch.

 

[SCW-Greg]

Nigel, are you Teeing this up for TM?

Yeah really a lot of unknowns still, in terms of what "requires" connectivity, and what options don't. Also many still unbaked things, like caching maps, etc. In the end, how will you know what typical usage rates will be, for the things you would use/ be willing to pay for? If those things can be answered, then we can make informed decisions.