Compatible Vehicles

Learn how Smartcar determines vehicle compatibility and how to access compatibility data for your application.

GET /v3/compatible-vehicles

All vehicles

curl https://compatibility.api.smartcar.com/v3/compatible-vehicles

Example Response

{
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "TESLA-Model 3-2016-2026-BEV-US",
      "type": "vehicle-model-capability",
      "attributes": {
        "make": "Tesla",
        "model": "Model 3",
        "region": "US",
        "powertrainType": "BEV",
        "years": {
          "start": 2016,
          "end": 2026
        },
        "capabilities": [
          {
            "type": "signal",
            "name": "State Of Charge",
            "group": "TractionBattery",
            "code": "StateOfCharge",
            "capability": "tractionbattery-stateofcharge",
            "permission": "read_battery"
          },
          {
            "type": "signal",
            "name": "Range",
            "group": "TractionBattery",
            "code": "Range",
            "capability": "tractionbattery-range",
            "permission": "read_battery"
          },
          {
            "type": "signal",
            "name": "Location",
            "group": "Location",
            "code": "PreciseLocation",
            "capability": "location-preciselocation",
            "permission": "read_location"
          },
          {
            "type": "command",
            "name": "Start charge",
            "group": "",
            "code": "charge-start",
            "capability": "charge-start",
            "permission": ""
          },
          {
            "type": "command",
            "name": "Lock vehicle",
            "group": "",
            "code": "closure-lock",
            "capability": "closure-lock",
            "permission": ""
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "meta": {
    "page": 1,
    "pageSize": 1384,
    "totalCount": 1384
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "https://compatibility.api.smartcar.com/v3/compatible-vehicles"
  }
}

Smartcar compatibility reflects which vehicles are compatible with specific signals and commands, updated dynamically based on real activity across the Smartcar platform.

Browsing Compatibility Data

The most convenient way to explore compatibility is through our website, where you can browse and download a CSV of the full dataset:

Compatible Vehicles

Look up which vehicles support which signals and commands, filter by make or region, and export the full matrix as a CSV.

Accessing Compatibility Data Programmatically

If your application needs to consume this data dynamically, use the endpoint above.

Caching is strongly recommended. We recommend caching the results for a minimum of 24 hours. This endpoint is not intended to be queried prior to connecting a vehicle. The data is the same whether you fetch it in advance or at the time of connection, and drivers should not be waiting extra seconds while this data is fetched.

Instead, cache the results locally and compute compatibility on your end. You can refresh the cache every 24 hours if desired, as the data changes dynamically each day based on activity across the Smartcar platform.

Query Parameters

filter[region] · string

Filter vehicles by market region. Omit to return all regions.

Show child attributes

US

CA

EUROPE

filter[make] · string

Filter vehicles by manufacturer (case-insensitive). Example: TESLA, BMW, FORD. Omit to return all makes.

filter[powertrainType] · string

Filter vehicles by powertrain type. Omit to return all types.

Show child attributes

ICE

Internal combustion engine vehicles only

BEV

Battery electric vehicles only

PHEV

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles only

EV

BEV + PHEV combined

Response Schema

The response follows JSON:API format with a data array of vehicle compatibility entries, pagination metadata, and a self link.

All vehicles

curl https://compatibility.api.smartcar.com/v3/compatible-vehicles

Example Response

{
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "TESLA-Model 3-2016-2026-BEV-US",
      "type": "vehicle-model-capability",
      "attributes": {
        "make": "Tesla",
        "model": "Model 3",
        "region": "US",
        "powertrainType": "BEV",
        "years": {
          "start": 2016,
          "end": 2026
        },
        "capabilities": [
          {
            "type": "signal",
            "name": "State Of Charge",
            "group": "TractionBattery",
            "code": "StateOfCharge",
            "capability": "tractionbattery-stateofcharge",
            "permission": "read_battery"
          },
          {
            "type": "signal",
            "name": "Range",
            "group": "TractionBattery",
            "code": "Range",
            "capability": "tractionbattery-range",
            "permission": "read_battery"
          },
          {
            "type": "signal",
            "name": "Location",
            "group": "Location",
            "code": "PreciseLocation",
            "capability": "location-preciselocation",
            "permission": "read_location"
          },
          {
            "type": "command",
            "name": "Start charge",
            "group": "",
            "code": "charge-start",
            "capability": "charge-start",
            "permission": ""
          },
          {
            "type": "command",
            "name": "Lock vehicle",
            "group": "",
            "code": "closure-lock",
            "capability": "closure-lock",
            "permission": ""
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "meta": {
    "page": 1,
    "pageSize": 1384,
    "totalCount": 1384
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "https://compatibility.api.smartcar.com/v3/compatible-vehicles"
  }
}

Data Item

Each item in the data array represents a unique vehicle make/model/powertrain/region combination.

Field	Type	Description
id	string	Deterministic composite key (e.g., TESLA-Model 3-2016-2026-BEV-US).
type	string	Always vehicle-model-capability.
attributes.make	string	Vehicle manufacturer display name (e.g., Tesla, Mercedes-Benz).
attributes.model	string	Vehicle model name.
attributes.region	string	Market region: US, CA, or EUROPE.
attributes.powertrainType	string	Powertrain type: ICE, BEV, or PHEV.*
attributes.years.start	integer	First compatible model year.
attributes.years.end	integer	Last compatible model year.
attributes.capabilities	array	Array of compatible signal and command objects.

_{*HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) powertrain types are designated as ICE in Smartcar API responses.}

Capability Object

Each capability in attributes.capabilities describes a signal or command the vehicle supports.

Field	Type	Description
type	string	signal for data signals, command for executable commands.
name	string	Human-readable name (e.g., State Of Charge, Start charge).
group	string	Signal group (e.g., TractionBattery, Charge). Empty for commands.
code	string	Internal code (e.g., StateOfCharge, charge-start).
capability	string	Capability key (e.g., tractionbattery-stateofcharge).
permission	string	Required Smartcar permission (e.g., read_battery).

Pagination Metadata

Field	Type	Description
meta.page	integer	Always 1 (all data returned in a single response).
meta.pageSize	integer	Number of items returned.
meta.totalCount	integer	Total number of items (equals pageSize).

Error Handling

Status	Description
200	Successful request. If no vehicles match the filters, data will be an empty array — this is not an error.
404	Invalid path. Returned when the requested URL does not match any endpoint.
500	Server error. Retry with exponential backoff.

Error responses follow the Smartcar error format:

{
  "errors": [
    {
      "status": "500",
      "type": "SERVER",
      "code": "INTERNAL",
      "title": "Internal Server Error",
      "detail": "An unexpected error occurred on the server.",
      "links": {
        "about": "https://smartcar.com/docs/errors/api-errors/v3/server-errors"
      }
    }
  ]
}

How Compatibility is Determined

Smartcar compatibility data is generated dynamically from real vehicle connections and API requests across the platform. When we mark a vehicle as compatible with a specific signal, it means we have confirmed successful requests to that signal on that vehicle.

Because this data is based on platform activity:

• Unlisted vehicles — If a particular make, model, or year is not listed, it may be because we have not yet seen one connected to our platform, or we do not yet have sufficient data to determine compatibility.
• Dynamic updates — The dataset is updated daily as new vehicles connect and new data flows through the platform.

While we strive for accuracy and comprehensiveness, it is important to acknowledge that the functional capabilities of individual vehicles can exhibit variability. Even if we have confirmed a particular make, model, and year as compatible with a specific signal, a slight trim variation could cause the same vehicle to not be compatible.