Tesla Premium Connectivity: Luxury or Necessary?

Over-the-air updates, watching Netflix while the vehicle charges, or accessing the camera feed of a parked car while on the go – Tesla is known and loved for such technological features. However, many of these only work with the Tesla Premium Connectivity, a paid subscription.

Currently, the extra feature costs €9.99 per month. The question is: Do you play the game and pay an extra €10 every month, or can you do without the features?

In this article, we want to weigh the pros and cons, present alternatives, and also provide general information about premium connectivity.

Tesla Premium Connectivity Costs

As previously mentioned, Tesla Internet costs €9.99 per month for premium connectivity in Germany. It is a recurring subscription that can be started and canceled at any time.

Premium connectivity is included free for life for all vehicles ordered before June 30, 2018. All Teslas ordered after that date still receive a free trial period of 30 days (Model 3/Y) or even a full year (Model S/X).

Tesla Premium Connectivity: What do you get?

Those who book the premium subscription essentially receive a mobile phone connection valid in many European countries.

This allows, in principle, unlimited internet browsing, music and... Films (e.g. via Netflix, Disney+, etc.) streamed and the video feed of the Sentry Mode viewed.

Furthermore, potentially Useful real-time traffic data is displayed in the navigation. It is also possible to display Google Maps as a satellite image.

Another advantage: Tesla Premium Connectivity includes Spotify for free. However, you can only use this account in your Tesla. Other accounts, such as Netflix, still require separate subscriptions and payments.

What functions are available? with Basic connection?

If you don't subscribe to the premium plan after the free trial period, you'll be downgraded to "basic connectivity." According to Tesla, this is free for eight years from the date of purchase. What happens after that is currently unclear.

Even with basic connectivity, your Tesla is connected to the mobile network to provide essential features such as over-the-air updates, traffic data-based navigation, and up-to-date Supercharger data.

To stay up-to-date with the latest software and have a decent navigation computer, you don't need the premium subscription.

Activate Tesla Premium Connectivity

If you would like to subscribe to Premium Connectivity, you can easily do so via the Tesla app or the vehicle's screen. You will need to have a payment method (e.g., credit card) on file.

If you wish to cancel your Tesla Premium Connectivity subscription, you can also do so via the Tesla app. Cancellation always takes effect at the end of the current billing period, i.e., the current 30-day period. Until then, the benefits of the subscription remain in place. You can view your Tesla Premium Connectivity bill in the Tesla app under Upgrades.&Manage -&View subscription.

As you can see, a lot at Tesla is done via the app. If you're not quite comfortable with that yet, we have a complete guide for you. Tesla App Guide Compiled here. You will find all the important information, tips and tricks.

Tesla Premium Connectivity is not working

If the premium connectivity features aren't working, there could be several reasons. For example, at the end of the free trial period, you'll need to manually renew the subscription.

If you're subscribing for the first time, your vehicle will need to be parked and updated before the premium features are activated. Also, please ensure your Tesla always has the latest software version so all features function smoothly.

If you have been subscribed to premium connectivity for some time and it then fails, please ensure that the payment method stored in the app is still current and valid.

Sometimes simply accessing the "Payment Methods" page can help the system get back on track. Finally, restarting your Tesla can also help. We have more information on this. in an overview article on Tesla Reboot summarized.

Tesla Premium Connectivity Alternative

There is no real alternative to a separate subscription for premium connectivity. However, there is a workaround.

Many premium features are also available in the basic connectivity if the vehicle is equipped with a Wi-Fi network is connected. Therefore, anyone who creates a hotspot via their smartphone or a mobile Wi-Fi router, which the vehicle can connect to even while driving, can use many premium features such as music and video streaming or the web browser.

Only the real-time images in Sentry Mode, live traffic updates, and Google Maps satellite imagery require a premium subscription. Of course, a suitable mobile data plan with sufficient data allowance for such extensive hotspot usage is essential for using the Wi-Fi alternative.

Premium connectivity in Tesla: Pros and cons

A Wi-Fi hotspot offers a viable alternative to Tesla Premium Connectivity. But how do I know which option is better? What exactly are the advantages and disadvantages of the Premium subscription?

Minor spoiler: It depends heavily on personal circumstances. But let's take it one step at a time:

Pro Premium Connectivity

The price is the biggest selling point of premium connectivity. Unlimited data, often valid abroad, for €10 a month isn't bad, even if it's only usable in the car. And anyone who doesn't already have a Spotify account has almost recouped the cost anyway – assuming, of course, they're interested in music streaming in the car.

The availability of satellite images and live streaming from the Sentry Mode are also nice gimmicks that can occasionally be quite helpful.

Our pros at a glance:

• affordable price
• unlimited data volume
• also international usable
• including Spotify account
• Music streaming in the car
• Live satellite images available
• Live images from Sentry Mode

Contra Premium Connectivity

The downside of the premium subscription is that it's not a complete solution. For popular features like video streaming, you need additional accounts, which drives up the price. If you already have Netflix or similar services, this isn't a problem. Otherwise, you should expect to pay more than €10 per month for the full range of features.

Another drawback, especially if you already have a mobile data plan with a large data allowance: the alternative "Wi-Fi hotspot" is too good. You can use all functions except for satellite images, live watch mode, and live traffic information.

And the latter is a bit of a mixed bag: Even without premium connectivity, live traffic data is used for route planning. The traffic jams and delays just aren't explicitly displayed on the screen – probably a minor drawback for many.

Our cons at a glance:

• not a complete solution
• Additional accounts are needed for Netflix and similar services.
• higher overall costs
• Wi-Fi hotspot often sufficient
• Basic traffic data available

Tesla Premium Connectivity: Conclusion

Anyone wanting to fully utilize the digital offerings in their Tesla and enjoy the benefits of a mobile internet connection won't go wrong with €10 a month – especially if they don't already have a Spotify account or a generous mobile data plan. They're buying a solution that works reliably without any hassle and can be cancelled at any time.

However, those willing to go to the (small) trouble of setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot and who already have a sufficient mobile data plan can save €120 per year without significantly sacrificing functionality. The same applies, of course, to anyone who can't or doesn't want to make much use of the digital features in the Tesla.

The facts are now on the table; everyone should be able to decide for themselves whether premium connectivity is worthwhile in their specific situation. In any case, a free trial period is available, at the end of which everyone will likely have a clearer idea of ​​whether or not they can do without Tesla premium connectivity.

It lies by Do you find premium connectivity useful? Share your opinion and experiences with us in the comments!