- Tesla’s Fleet API pricing, set to launch in 2025, will significantly impact developers.
- Put simply, it costs a lot for those who make third-party applications with the API.
- Some applications can continue running without the API but others will die off.
Tesla has now announced public pricing for its Fleet API, set to go live in January 2025. From that point, application developers will need to start paying for access. One developer has claimed the new pricing structure could cost him tens of millions, while others have found workarounds—for now.
The Fleet API is a tool for third-party developers. It enables them to create software applications that directly interface with Tesla vehicles. Then, they can provide new or novel functionality to owners.
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The company explains that each account will receive a $10 monthly discount, which will cover the cost of creating useful automations for a few vehicles. For instance, this can cover data streaming, 100 commands, and 2 wakes per day for two vehicles. That sounds fine for an individual owner. What happens if you run a business with thousands of calls for data per month?
$60 Million Bill?
One Reddit poster specifically said that it would cost him some $60 million a year to keep his app going under this pricing. He even broke down the pricing.
“Every 30 seconds when the car is awake and busy (driving, charging, Sentry Mode, etc.) Assuming someone leaves Sentry on (common) and the car stays busy, and there are 43,829 minutes in a month, that’s 87,658 calls per month. At $1 per 500 requests, that’s $175 for one month for one vehicle – not counting wakes or commands.
In the worst case, where all vehicles are subscribed and all vehicles have Sentry on, it’s actually 470,000 vehicles * $175 = $82,250,000 per month or $987,000,000 per year. Plus wakes and commands. Might put it over a billion dollars a year?”
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How will popular apps like S3XY Buttons end up being affected? Well, in a separate Reddit thread they explain that like many other apps, they don’t even use the API now. So in their case, they won’t see functionality change. The team there laid it out simply. “We are getting our data straight from the source, but those who use the Cloud API will be affected.”
Essentially, the future for many third-party Tesla apps is in flux. Some will continue, others won’t, and the only way that more survive is if Tesla cuts pricing.
