TezLab releases new AI-powered “car reports” for Tesla and Rivian electric vehicles

Modern connected vehicles, and especially electric vehicles, generate a lot of data. But automakers often don’t give their owners a good way to play around with this data. Rather, drivers are more likely to end up in a situation like the New York Times reported earlier this year: They are essentially tricked into giving up this data with little or no benefit.

Ben Schippers has tried to change that with TezLab, an app essentially similar to Strava for electric vehicles, ranging from Teslas to Rivian vehicles. And while it’s been on the market for a while and is well respected, TezLab has just launched a new section of the app called “Car Report” that’s a stats nerd’s dream – 5.99 if they’re willing US dollars per month for the “Pro” subscription.

The Auto Report shows owners a variety of data points, such as how often they use DC fast chargers compared to their home outlet, how often they have charged up to 100%, and how far they can drive based on their personal driving style, to name just a few . There are also detailed visualizations, such as a map of all the locations an owner can visit depending on charge levels and driver behavior. Tezlab processes most of this information using machine learning before presenting it to the user.

TezLab’s car report goes a step further and compares many of these data points to other Tesla users. For example, owners who care about maintaining the health of their battery can now use Tezlab to see how many more kilometers they travel on a full charge than other owners of similar models.

This all comes about a year after Tesla quietly released an official API to third-party developers, formalizing an ecosystem that had existed in pieces for several years. Schippers said his five-person team has spent much of the past year working closely with Tesla to understand what types of data the API gives them access to and how to properly interpret it all.

According to Schippers, this work was worth it. With Tesla’s support of an official API, Schipper’s team was able to move from developing a slick-looking app that was limited to simpler ideas like vehicle controls (think door locks and climate settings) and trip tracking to a comprehensive experience, something through which owners might want to scroll while lying on the couch.

Despite the name, TezLab is not just aimed at Tesla owners. Schippers told TechCrunch that in addition to adding Rivian vehicles to the app, he also plans to expand to other popular electric vehicles, with Hyundai and Kia vehicles coming next.

However, this process will take time as it requires building relationships with other automakers. This also means that TezLab requires more resources. Schippers told TechCrunch earlier this year that he had TezLab up and running so far and intended to fund short-term operations by acquiring more customers and paying for the Pro subscription.

“We’re balancing growth with costs and we’re right in the middle,” he told TechCrunch. “We’re growing, but then it’s also about ensuring conversion [to paid subscriptions] stays the same, if not grows, so you can cover your costs as it grows. I think we’re doing a pretty good job.”