Tesla drivers will now be able to see exactly what is powering their electric cars, thanks to a free new app that gives a deeper insight into the vehicle’s carbon footprint.
TezLab, which is essentially a FitBit app for your Tesla, recently launched a new feature that tells you exactly how much of your car is powered by fossil fuels vs renewable energy.This allows drivers to monitor their EV’s impact on the planet.
“Our new Power Mix view is live! In locations where data are available, you can now see where your local grid’s electricity comes from at the time of your charge,” TezLab tweeted.
Our new Power Mix view is live! In locations where data are available, you can now see where your local grid’s electricity comes from at the time of your charge.
Data comes from our friends at @electricityMap pic.twitter.com/n9mLXWYP3e
— TezLab (@TezLabApp) April 16, 2021
Using data from Electricity Map, TezLab knows when and where you’re charging your Tesla and allows you to see exactly what kind of energy is charging your EV.
“We’re tracking the origin of data as it relates to energy, so we know if you’re in Tucson or Brooklyn (or any location) where the energy is coming from and what the mix of that energy looks like,” TezLab CEO and co-founder Ben Schippers told TechCrunch.
“As a result, we can see how much carbon is being pushed out into the atmosphere based on your charge, whether you’re charging at home, or whether you’re charging at a Supercharger.”
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By using the app, drivers can compare how Superchargers, third-party charging networks and their own home chargers fuel their EV.
Unfortunately, the technology is only available in the US right now, but it’s still pretty cool to look at how the country’s Superchargers power sources differ.
For example, 65.6 per cent of the Las Vegas Supercharger is powered by hydro at the mighty Hoover Dam, with 33 per cent being powered by natural gas. Meanwhile, Hawthorne, California’s Supercharger is largely powered by wind (49.9 per cent), but also uses 27 per cent coal power.
Power Mix is the latest feature from TezLab, a third-party app that already allows drivers to track their efficiency, control certain functions like the AC and door-locking, and even rate Supercharger stations. And thankfully, TezLab has already confirmed it won’t sell your data.
The new feature is pretty game-changing for anyone who wants to be as eco-friendly as possible. If you’re going to the effort of buying an electric vehicle to lower your carbon footprint, it’s probably worth looking at how said vehicle is being charged.