Important Updates
Upcoming changes to data access and permissions in 2025
May 20, 2025
Smartcar now handles adding Virtual Keys for Tesla vehicles on your behalf in the Connect flow. Virtual Keys are required for third-party applications to issue commands to Tesla vehicles and are the preferred method for accessing data.
For more details, visit the Virtual Key documentation.
January 10, 2025
Starting in March 2025, Tesla will require a new permission to access live location data for its vehicles. Due to this change, you have two options:
If your application needs live location data:
Users will need to reauthenticate and grant explicit access to the Vehicle
Location permission to continue receiving location data beyond March 2025, if
they haven’t already done so. This permission was previously included as part of
the Vehicle Information permission.
If your application only needs to know whether the vehicle is at home:
A new boolean value will be available soon, and it will not require
reauthentication. Vehicle owners can set their home location in the Tesla
application.
Why is this change occurring?
Tesla now provides users more granular data access control, and requires vehicle owners to explicitly consent to sharing location data with 3rd parties like Smartcar. This ultimately gives drivers more control and awareness of how and what data they decide to share.
Next steps if you need live location data
1. Check existing permissions
Use the User Access endpoint to verify whether a vehicle has already
been granted the required permission on Tesla’s side.
2. Update Smartcar Connect scopes
To ensure vehicle owners grant the new permission, append required: to your
scopes in the Smartcar Connect URL (for example, required:read_location). For
detailed instructions, please refer to this guide.
3. Prompt users to reauthenticate
If needed, guide users to reauthenticate their Tesla vehicles using the methods outlined
here.
If the Vehicle Location permission isn’t granted by March 2025, you may
encounter a PERMISSION error. As a result, your
application will no longer receive live location data from affected Tesla
vehicles until they reauthenticate.
December 19, 2024
Starting January 21, 2025, a Virtual Key will be required to maintain access to Tesla vehicle data. Failure to make the necessary changes could result in a disruption to your service after this date. Below, we’ve outlined the steps you need to take to prepare, depending on your situation.
For new developers
If you’re on an Enterprise plan, please reach out to your Account Manager or Solutions Architect for information on setting up your own Virtual Key.
Free and Build customers can get started with the default Virtual Key.
For existing developers
I'm using an app.car subdomain that Smartcar has created for me
I'm using an app.car subdomain that Smartcar has created for me
What’s changing?
Telsa is changing the way data can be accessed by 3rd party applications.
What do you need to do?
To ensure continuous data access, please have your users add your Virtual Key to their vehicles if they haven’t already. They can follow this guide for more information. If you already prompt users to add a Virtual Key as your application issues commands - no additional work is needed, please continue to do so.
What is a Virtual Key?
A virtual key is a digital access method required by Tesla for third-party applications to receive vehicle data and issue commands to Tesla vehicles. Please see this guide for more information.
Where can I find my Virtual Key?
The Virtual Key URL for your application will be sent back along with the authorization code after a user completes the Connect flow. Alternatively, you can reach out to Support or your Account Manager and they’ll be able to provide it to you.
What happens if my users do not add my Virtual Key?
Starting January 21, 2025 you will not be able to get data from Tesla vehicles
you are connected to and will receive a virtual_key_required error instead
(docs).
What about vehicles that do not support Virtual Keys?
2020 and earlier Model S and X will not require a Virtual Key to keep working at this time. However, you may not always receive the latest data from the vehicle when you make an API request to Smartcar.
Will my users need to reauthenticate?
No. They simply need to add the Virtual Key to their vehicle.
I'm using Smartcar's default Tesla application
I'm using Smartcar's default Tesla application
What’s changing?
Tesla is changing the way data can be accessed by 3rd party applications.
What do you need to do?
To ensure continuous data access, please have your users add your Virtual Key to their vehicles if they haven’t already. They can follow this guide for more information. If you already prompt users to add a Virtual Key as your application issues commands - no additional work is needed, please continue to do so.
What is a Virtual Key?
A virtual key is a digital access method required by Tesla for third-party applications to receive vehicle data and issue commands to Tesla vehicles. Please see this guide for more information.
Where can I find my Virtual Key?
The Virtual Key URL for your application will be sent back along with the
authorization code after a user completes the Connect flow. The Virtual Key URL
is:
https://www.tesla.com/_ak/smartcar.com
What happens if my users do not add my Virtual Key?
Starting January 21, 2025 you will not be able to get data from Tesla vehicles
you are connected to and will receive a virtual_key_required error instead
(docs).
What about vehicles that do not support Virtual Keys?
2020 and earlier Model S and X will not require a Virtual Key to keep working at this time. However, you may not always receive the latest data from the vehicle when you make an API request to Smartcar.
Will my users need to reauthenticate?
No. They simply need to add the Virtual Key to their vehicle.