Tesla CEO Says Model S Will Support Third-Party Apps

thecarchik writes "The electric-car maker's CEO said at a conference today in San Francisco that the much-hyped Model S electric sedan will support third-party apps and text-to-voice capabilities. With its large 17-inch touchscreen console, car fans and investors have long suspected that third-party apps might be part of the Model S plan, but Wednesday's announcement was the first acknowledgement from Musk that the company is courting a developer community."

Comments

Is software really their core competency?

[Sanity]

Why are they coming up with their own operating system and app ecosystem, is this really the core competency of a car company? Why aren't they using Android, which already has text to voice, voice to text, GPS navigation, and almost everything else you might need in a car?

Re:Is software really their core competency?

[eln]

I agree with your assertion that developing their own app ecosystem is the wrong approach, but I disagree with your conclusion. In my mind, trying to transform an electric car into basically a smart phone on wheels is a horrible idea, and their approach (much like your "use Android" solution) is simply wrong-headed.

At this stage, the aim of electric cars should be proving that they are a viable alternative to gasoline-powered cars, at least following the 80/20 rule. Getting sidetracked by bells and whistles now is counterproductive. Tesla should be concentrating on making a car that's capable of serving at least 80% of the needs a standard sedan meets (short trips, daily commutes, cruise control, capable of seating 5, etc) while costing at best a small premium over gasoline-powered competitors. Encouraging the development of apps that will draw power and reduce the range or carrying capacity of the vehicle is silly.

At this point, consumers interested in electric cars, outside of the rich folks who are looking to buy Tesla's roadster model, only really want to know that an electric car can handle their daily needs without running out of juice and that it won't cost a fortune. Giving it the ability to play Angry Birds is simply a distraction.

Re:Is software really their core competency?

[c0lo]

Why aren't they using Android, which already has text to voice, voice to text, GPS navigation, and almost everything else you might need in a car?

Or, at the very least, have the "Other OS" option enabled! WTF? Do I own the car or not?

Also, don't they see that they are destroying the "car analogy" meme? I wonder how the /. editors can't see the impact this is going to have on the slashvertising business.

</sarcasm>

Re:Yes, but...

[pushing-robot]

And airgap it from the drivetrain and power management.

They're way ahead of you: All the car's components communicate wirelessly!

They are working that is why they are opening it

[bussdriver]

They are working on the car, this is a side thing that will bring in things from the outside. You can't work on the car but you could add cool things to it and contribute to it in that way. It also means they may have some great new ideas that SELL the car to people who are less interested in going green. If they get a community going around this aspect they can free up resources.... like if the linux people take over the system and save MS taxes so later the smaller car can be cheaper.

Its not just about batteries - which they don't do - its about getting an affordable CAR that people can buy and actually drive. It has to be expensive, so they went with the high end sports car and now they've worked down to the expensive car next they can work down to a mid-level car. Its harder to get the cheap affordable car so their approach to appeal to the top and work down is a WISE MOVE and helps dispel the myths of electric that have been around for so long. The sports car did a great job showing all that PR was lies- the problem is range but they don't have to be weak ugly little cars like the stereotype. This is just a step towards an electric we can all afford (pending battery tech which isn't really their thing.)

The average American need more than just a smart electric car like the Aptera - sure they don't ACTUALLY need more most of the time but the problem is that they don't believe that.