Tesla’s introduction of pricing for its Fleet API has sent shockwaves through the community of third-party Tesla app developers.
The new pay-per-use pricing structure charges fees for data streaming, commands, and other vehicle interactions. While Tesla says the system incentivizes efficient use and scales with business needs, developers are raising alarms over the potential financial burden. This reminds us of when Reddit introduced its API for developers and the end result was devastation for third-party apps.
The Fleet API pricing includes:
Developers of popular apps like Tessie, Teslemetry, and Teslascope warn the costs could put their services—and others like them—in jeopardy.
Tessie Developer: “$60 Million Per Year”
On Reddit, the developer of the excellent Tessie app broke down the impact. He revealed, “At current rates, I’ll owe Tesla around $60 million per year.” He explained how frequent API calls, such as every 30 seconds when a car is active (e.g., driving, charging, or in Sentry Mode), add up.
For a single car left in Sentry Mode all month, Tessie estimates 87,658 API calls would be needed—equivalent to $175 per vehicle per month.
“If all vehicles are subscribed and in Sentry Mode, costs could exceed $987 million per year,” the developer added, including charges for wakes and commands.
To avoid these costs, Tessie plans to move from Tesla’s web API to direct communication via IP and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), a process Tesla’s recent firmware updates have made possible. “It’s a huge effort, but I’m committed to making it work,” the developer said.
In a statement to Tesla North, Tessie founder James said, “Obviously, this is a big change for the Tesla community.” He added, “Tessie is aiming is to migrate everyone to cheaper and more real-time vehicle connectivity with little to no impact on functionality or price.”
Teslemetry: “25x My Revenue”
Another third-party app, Teslemetry, estimates it would owe Tesla around $900,000 annually under the new rates—more than 25 times its revenue. The app’s developer said bluntly, “This pricing is unsustainable.”
Teslascope: “7.5x Our Monthly Revenue”
Teslascope founder Tyler Corsair shared a similar concern. “The current rates will put the majority (if not all) third-party services, including my own, in a dire position,” he said. To maintain the same level of service, Corsair calculated the cost would be 7.5 times Teslascope’s monthly revenue.
“We remain hopeful for good outcomes regarding the Fleet API pricing announcements. We suspect that starting in January, all third-party services, loved by over a million vehicle owners a day, will see notable price increases to survive. We’ll share more on this topic next week,” said Teslascope on X.
Tesla has framed the pricing as part of a broader strategy to monetize its software ecosystem and improve service efficiency. For personal users, the company offers a $10 monthly discount, which covers basic usage for two vehicles.
What do you think? These API prices are going to affect many third-party Tesla apps, and it would be a shame for some to be shuttered due to the inability to pay API bills.
