Tesla Goes Android for 2014
Tesla’s customers will soon be able to use the Internet in-car via Google Chrome and an Android-compatible informatics platform. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX had made the announcement at a recent Tesla event in Munich. It is expected by late next year Tesla customers will be able to have Android access. Elon Musk had also confirmed for Germany to be Tesla’s priority within Europe. The objective is to sell more Teslas in Germany than in the U.S.
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Germany is a significant market for Tesla. The German automobile industry is dominated by Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG, Adam Opel AG, BMW AG, and Ford-Werke GmbH. The country produces close to six million vehicles annually -- 5.5 million are German brands. The country is one of the top 4 automobile manufacturers in the world.
The very first models, Tesla Model S electric car will use Google Chrome and integrate the Android emulator by the latter part of 2014. Tesla Model S currently has a 17in capacitive touchscreen display and "infotainment" system. The company plans to build the Android emulator once Google Chrome’s browser has been released. This will allow developers to run Android applications from inside of the car. The system will also offer third-party apps by 2014.
For developers, modified Android and iOS apps will make it easy to write Tesla-specific app code. Developers will have more convenience in porting existing Android apps. The Google Chrome and an Android-compatible informatics platform presently runs on a Linux version. This version does support modified Android and iOS apps.
Android-based car systems has been a driving trend for this year. Companies today are even more selective of the choices for OS. Manufacturers and consumer demand have grown to be highly competitive. It is important for car manufacturers to be selective of the type of Android ecosystem to be based on consumer influence.
Tesla Motors upcoming plans and for its Model S will basically be fully optimized for Android. The electric car is known for having the longest range single battery charge and has the largest touchscreen interface than any other car model. The 17-inch navigation system will connect Android users online via a large display. The Model S will also be getting a retro-fitted power upgrade so it can reach up to Autobahn speed.
Who will get left behind? It’s all about the customer and how to use these features to customize the consumer value proposition. Better construction market, cheap financing, pent-up demand and improving consumer confidence continue to fuel sales growth. The automotive industry is a critical component of the global economy. Competition in new automotive innovation will allow mobility to become even more accessible through offerings such as Tesla’s.