Developer Of EVTripPlanner.com Creating Tesla-Specific Version, Asking For Feedback — App Or Webpage In Tesla-Browser?

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The developer of the popular electric vehicle trip planning website EVTripPlanner.com recently made a post on the Tesla Motors Club forum calling for feedback on the question of whether or not to, now, create a smartphone app designed specifically for Tesla drivers, or to create a website (for the same purpose) designed to run in the Tesla browser.

The decision to create one of these two options is apparently down to the fact that the developer, who goes by the name of Ben, has received a substantial amount of requests to do so. So, presumably, some of our readers are among those that have made that request?

If so (or even if not so), I recommend you head over to the forum topic to leave your opinion — if you happen to have one on the matter. And, if you’ve made use of the developer’s planning service before, perhaps to head over to his website and leave a tip. (The screenshot below is of a prototype.)

EavTripPlanner.com

Here are the main pros of the two options (as according to Ben):

Pros of doing an app for the phone (rather than in the Tesla browser):

  • The Tesla browser has very poor HTML support and is hard to program for (things might not look right)
  • The Tesla browser is slow. Things would potentially by laggy and unresponsive
  • The Tesla browser only allow geolocation updates once every 30 seconds. This would make navigation with instructions difficult

Pros of doing a webpage in the Tesla browser instead of an app on the phone:

  • The screen is bigger and easier to view and use while driving
  • Only one webpage, instead of an app for iPhone and Android

As stated above, those that have an opinion on the matter are encouraged to possibly head over to the site and leave a comment. Ben also made note of a follow-up question: “Do you have an iPhone or Android?”

There are a couple of notes I’d like to make now, after having read through the forum comments.

The point was brought up (tip of the hat to “Heosat”) that many of those overseas (not in the US) don’t actually have an in-car browser — meaning that there is another, not previously mentioned, downside to the browser option.

A similar issue also applies with regards to the Roadster — with no browser being present in the Roadster, the smartphone option is, of course, a much better option for drivers of said model.

Hmm. I’m leaning pretty heavily toward the smartphone option myself. Anyways, if you have the time….

Image Credit: EVTripPlanner.com


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James Ayre

James Ayre's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy.

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