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Tesla has officially released its API documentation to support third-party apps – after years of operating in a gray zone with an unofficial API.

For now, it is geared toward fleet management, but developers are hoping it is a first step toward creating a healthy app ecosystem.

The automaker has talked on and off about releasing a software development kit (SDK) to create a full third-party app ecosystem operating with its vehicles, which have giant touchscreens and connectivity.

Tesla has since made an unofficial API that enables some very basic third-party apps, but it is mostly used for mobile and browser-based apps rather than being a full documented API.

In 2016, CEO Elon Musk said that they instead planned to move to app mirroring from phone to center console. This is similar to services like Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto, where the phone is responsible for displaying infotainment information on the car’s display.

CarPlay is another feature that many Tesla owners have demanded, but Tesla appears to have given that up, too, as it prefers to own the user experience inside its vehicles.

In the meantime, many Tesla drivers have still opted to use third-party apps that live in sort of a grey zone at the mercy of the unofficial API.

Earlier this summer, we saw that Tesla was taking steps to officially onboard third-party apps with a rumored official API coming.

The automaker has now officially released API documentation – marking an important step toward creating a healthier third-party app community.

So far, it still only covers the command that you can send to your car through the Tesla app, and it can ping the data from your car that goes to the app.

In short, it is going to make official all the third-party fleet management apps, smartwatch integration apps, etc.

In the documentation, Tesla writes that all third-party apps are going to have to go through the new API starting next year:

Following the release of Tesla Vehicle Command SDK support for REST API vehicle command endpoints is now reaching end of life. Starting 2024 most vehicles will require sending commands via Tesla Vehicle Command SDK.

Tesla put together a process to onboard those apps on its website. If you are using some of those apps, you will likely receive a notification to give them official authorization to access car data.

Electrek’s Take

The move has likely something to do with Tesla recently releasing new in-car fleet management and rental software with Hertz, which operates a giant fleet of Tesla rental cars.

It likely had to make access official through an API for the project, and now it is making it available to everyone.

That’s good news because there were a few thriving businesses that were created around making third-party apps for Tesla, but they operated in a grey zone making them a bit shaky. Now if those apps can operate with the official API, they will become legitimate businesses, and it could encourage more to come.

However, applications are still limited now because of what can be accessed to the API, but it might be a first step toward a broader Tesla “app store” ecosystem that could even eventually include in-car apps.

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Here’s our first look at the Genesis GV70 EREV [Video]

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Here's our first look at the Genesis GV70 EREV [Video]

Genesis is gearing up to introduce its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), the GV70. Ahead of its debut, the Genesis GV70 EREV was spotted in Korea, offering a closer look at the upcoming SUV.

Genesis prepares for its first EREV, the GV70

The luxury automaker is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a slate of new EVs, hybrids, and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) set to arrive over the next few years.

During its CEO Investor Day last month, Hyundai revealed plans to launch several new Genesis vehicles, including its first EREV.

First up will be the Genesis GV70 EREV, promising to deliver over 1,000 km (620 miles) of driving range. The electrified SUV will still run on a 100% electric motor, but a small gas engine acts as a generator to charge the battery when it becomes low, thereby extending the driving range.

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Although the Genesis GV70 EREV isn’t due out for another year or so, we are already getting our first look at the new extended-range electric SUV.

First-Genesis-GV70-EREV
Genesis plans to launch new luxury EVs, hybrids, and EREVs (Source: Hyundai)

The folks at HealerTV spotted the new vehicle parked in South Korea, giving us a better idea of what to expect when it arrives.

Although it’s still covered in camouflage, you can see it’s nearly identical to the current gas-powered GV70. At least from what we can see, the front and back ends look about the same.

We also got a sneak peek at the interior, which also appears to be essentially unchanged. Genesis just introduced an updated interior and exterior design on its current vehicle lineup, so no major changes are expected.

Since it’s still a prototype, the design could change by the time it hits the market, which is expected in December 2026.

Genesis will launch its first hybrid next year, the GV80 SUV, which is expected to be followed by the GV70 EREV later in the year. Following that, at least two new luxury SUVs will join the lineup, based on the Neolun (pictured on the left) and X Gran Equator concepts (pictured on the right).

The Neolun is expected to arrive as the Genesis GV90, an “ultra-luxe” flagship electric SUV, while the X Gran Equator will be an off-roader.

Genesis plans to expand into up to 20 European markets while boosting brand sales in the US with its new lineup. By 2030, the luxury brand aims to sell 350,000 vehicles globally.

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Base Power raises $1B to reinvent Texas’ grid with home batteries

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Base Power raises B to reinvent Texas’ grid with home batteries

Austin-based Base Power just raised $1 billion in Series C funding to accelerate its mission to modernize the Texas grid, one home battery at a time.

Addition led the round, with support from existing and new investors. The fresh capital will help Base scale up operations, grow its team, and build out domestic manufacturing to meet surging demand for resilient, distributed home batteries.

Base Power is a licensed electricity provider operating in Texas’s deregulated electricity market, and it functions as a virtual power plant (VPP). Its model is simple but transformative: customers pay a monthly fee for energy, installation, and a home battery – no rooftop solar required. When the grid is up, Base’s networked batteries help stabilize it; when it goes down, the battery keeps the lights on at home.

“The chance to reinvent our power system comes once in a generation,” said Zach Dell, Base Power’s CEO and cofounder. “We’re scaling the team to make our abundant energy future a reality.”

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In under two years, Base has already deployed more than 100 megawatt-hours (MWh) of residential battery capacity, making it one of the fastest-growing distributed energy platforms in the US. The company’s rapid growth has been fueled by organic customer demand, partnerships with major homebuilders like Lennar, and collaborations with forward-thinking utilities.

Base Power currently serves homeowners across the Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin regions, and plans to expand nationwide. To support that growth, the company is building its first factory, an energy storage and power electronics manufacturing hub at the former Austin American-Statesman printing press site in downtown Austin.

The company also recently qualified for Texas’s Aggregated Distributed Energy Resource (ADER) program, which allows distributed batteries to participate directly in the grid market. That means extra reliability for the state and lower costs for customers through shared revenue from grid services.

“The only way to add capacity to the grid is by deploying hardware — and we need to make that here in the US, ourselves,” said Justin Lopas, Base’s COO and cofounder. “This factory in Austin is our first, and we’re already planning for our second. We’re building the tools and systems to reindustrialize America and reinvent the grid.”

Electrek’s Take

Texas’s grid struggles, from heatwaves to winter blackouts, make Base Power’s model timely. Linking home batteries to a virtual power plant offers home backup and grid support. (I was part of a VPP in Vermont, and I can’t stress enough how great it is, especially in power outages.)

With $1 billion in new funding and a planned Austin factory, Base aims to scale fast. For context, Tesla deployed over 31 GWh of storage in 2024, but that figure includes utility-scale Megapacks as well as residential Powerwalls because Tesla didn’t separate out the two in its report. Sunrun’s VPPs now include 20,000+ customers across nine states, and it supplies significant grid support in California. Base’s 100 MWh so far is much smaller, but as a licensed electricity provider, not just a technology platform, its focused Texas rollout and participation in the state’s ADER program could position it as a nimble challenger in the growing VPP space.


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GM scraps $7,500 EV tax credit program, but it has a new way to keep prices down

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GM scraps ,500 EV tax credit program, but it has a new way to keep prices down

GM is ending plans for a program that enabled its dealers to extend the $7,500 tax credit for new Chevy, GMC, and Cadillac EV leases beyond the September 30 deadline. Instead, it has another plan to keep the savings going.

GM ends $7,500 EV tax credit and plans its own savings

After the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles expired at the end of September, GM was among the automakers planning to extend the incentive through leasing.

That will no longer be the case after the automaker suddenly reversed its decision. According to Bloomberg, GM will not extend the credit for EVs that were in transit to dealers ahead of the September 30 deadline.

Instead, GM will provide about $6,000 from its own pockets for a limited time to continue supporting electric vehicle leases.

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A company spokesperson confirmed that “GM worked on an extended offer for the benefit of our customers and dealers,” adding “After further consideration, we have decided not to claim the tax credit.”

The savings will last until the end of the month. The spokesperson said in an email that “GM will fund the incentive lease terms through the end of October.”

Chevy-Equinox-EV-tax-credit
Chevy Equinox EV LT (Source: GM)

GM and Ford announced programs last week that involved buying EVs through their financing units, which would enable them to qualify for the $7,500 tax credit. The companies would then use the funds to extend the credit through leasing.

A source close to the matter told Reuters that GM decided to end the program after Republican Senator Bernie Moren urged the end of the loophole that enabled the $7,500 credit to be passed on through leasing.

Cadillac-Escalade-EV-tax-credit
Cadillac ESCALADE IQL electric SUV (Source: Cadillac)

The announcement comes after GM delivered a record of over 66,500 electric vehicles in the third quarter. Through September, GM sold 144,668 EVs, more than double the amount it sold in the same period in 2024.

The Chevy Equinox EV is now the best-selling non-Tesla EV in the US, while Cadillac ranked as the top luxury electric vehicle brand in Q3.

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Chevy Blazer EV (left), Chevy Equinox EV (middle), Chevy Silverado EV (right) (Source: GM)

Ford, Jeep maker Stellantis, and BMW are still planning to extend the credit for those EV leases for at least another few months. GM was expected to extend the offer until the end of the year.

GM already has one of the most affordable EVs in the US with the Chevy Equinox EV starting at under $35,000. In 2026, it will face a wave of new lower-priced EVs, including the new Nissan LEAF, which will start at under $30,000. General Motors is betting on more affordable EVs, including the 2027 Chevy Bolt, to gain a bigger share of the market over the next few years.

Interested in testing out one of GM’s electric vehicles for yourself? From the Chevy Equinox EV to the Cadillac Escalade IQ, you can use our links below to see what’s available near you.

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