If the latest rumours are true, Tesla is working on launching their very own App Store that would allow owners to download new apps to their vehicles.
But even more importantly, they could open it up to third-party developers, and in the process open up a new revenue stream for the company.
The idea of a Tesla App Store is not new. In 2019 during an interview on the Ride the Lightning podcast, CEO Elon Musk said as the number of Tesla vehicles on the road grows, it makes more sense to start thinking about developing “games and other applications for Tesla.”
With close to 1 million deliveries in 2021 alone, it appears they have reached that threshold, and could be launching their own App Store very soon.
The latest rumours come from a couple of notable Tesla Twitter fans, who have often provided reliable information in the past.
The first is Sawyer Merritt, who over the weekend retweeted a video of Steve Jobs unveiling the Apple App Store in 2008, saying “Rumor has it something similar is coming soon to something with four wheels that starts with a T.”
https://twitter.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1490100079843328006
That was when Teslascope entered the conversation, adding that according to their sources, Tesla has been working on an App Store “since around May 2021” and that they were expecting Musk to announce it during the recent earnings call and product roadmap update.
The rumor is out!
Tesla has been working on their own "App Store" since around May 2021 and will launch before deliveries of the Cybertruck.
This is what we expected to be shared during the earnings call, although @elonmusk did share this would be the year of "software".
— Teslascope (@teslascope) February 5, 2022
Teslascope went on to clarify that since Musk didn’t announce it, the project could be delayed, but that work is definitely ongoing.
Evidence of this can be found on Tesla’s Careers website, which has a listing for a software engineer proficient in ReactNative, an open-source mobile application framework upon which the current Tesla mobile app is made.
What makes this particular job posting interesting is that it mentions “building a consistent, global customer experience across all digital touchpoints – web, native apps and in-car infotainment systems.” (emphasis added)
If all of the above is true, and it is hard not to believe it is (especially with the launch of the V11 software and an “app tray”), an App Store could add a new revenue stream and pad Tesla’s bottom line even further.
If they open it up to third party developers, anyone to create an app and sell it on the store, and if Tesla follows Apple’s formula, they could take 30% of each sale and in-app purchase.
It is worth noting though that even with a few million cars on the road, Tesla will have nowhere near the same user base as Apple, so don’t expect billions to start rolling in following its launch.
What apps would you like to see on a Tesla App Store? Let us know in the comments below.
