this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2025
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[Discussion] What would it take to selfhost some of the backend that Tesla's connect to? (lemmy.ca)
submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by otter@lemmy.ca to c/selfhosted@lemmy.world
15 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I saw this article earlier:

Tesla 'going bankrupt' is endpoint of protests, says local organizer

In the spirit of right to repair, self-hosting, giving a second life to old devices, and limiting data collection by car companies:

  • What are some considerations?
  • Are there any projects worth keeping an eye on?

An example that came to mind was Valetudo, which is a cloud replacement for vacuum robots enabling local-only operation. Some robot vacuums are easy to install this on, and others require more invasive modifications.

What I've found so far:

  • FreedomEV, a project that was presented at FOSSDEM 2019 but doesn't have recent activity
  • TeslaMate, which is a popular and active selfhosted data logger for Teslas, but not necessarily a replacement for the software
all 16 comments
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[–] skysurfer@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

Depends what you want to do. They don't require a network connection to operate as a vehicle. So if you don't care about the remote app features (local ones such as lock/unlock still work over BLE), live traffic, streaming music or updates, then a network connection isn't necessary.

If you do want any of those features, then you would need to either get root access to the gateway and infotainment systems to modify the endpoints or take over the C&C server (formerly named "mothership") domains and certificates.

[–] ramble81@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Something else that people don’t think about besides the backend server is the connectivity. A lot of these cars use LTE with eSIMs that can’t be replaced, and getting an internet package for it will be next to impossible since Tesla gets them at bulk rates. Once upon a time cars did allow “bring your own SIM cards” but not anymore. Also as cars get older the cell networks get shut down. Some companies did offer upgrades but that was few and far between. Most just said “sorry, you’re SOL”.

So even if you could hack your car, your car won’t have any way of talking to a custom endpoint.

[–] EuroNutellaMan@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

And this is another reason why putting internet on cars is a bad idea

[–] ramble81@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

I mean, what’s the alternative? It’s not like it has to have internet. Anything internet connected is mainly quality of life:

  • Traffic
  • Remote (app) features
  • Music

Except maybe Teslas, damned if I know what they do. But they’re nice to have things that generally require realtime updates but the car functions just fine as a car without it.

[–] stetech@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)
  • Traffic
  • Phone (CarPlay/Android Auto (yes I know Tesla doesn’t have them, a garbage decision you’ll have to live with if you bought one))
  • Remote (app) features
  • Don’t care/want/need, plus security risk. If you really can’t do without, use WiFi when at home, and no-idea-what for when on the go.
  • Music
  • See point 1, also “dumb” media devices via Bluetooth/USB should be possible.
[–] ramble81@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Again though, they are all quality of life things. You don’t have to use it on most cars. Don’t want it, don’t pay for it and don’t use it. So just like giving people the choice of AA/CP, what’s wrong with giving them the choice of using those features?

[–] EuroNutellaMan@lemmy.world -1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Just cause you opt out of those features doesn't mean the car doesn't have other mandatory shit that connects to the internet to, say, sell data like the exact times and locations of when you have sex.

Inb4 "but I don't have to worry about it cause I don't have sex" we know, but that's not the only thing they gather data on.

[–] EuroNutellaMan@lemmy.world -1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Public transit/bikes are (or should be) a good alternative if you can't find normal, used, dumb cars anymore

[–] ramble81@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That’s a non-sequeter. You started by saying that internet on cars were bad and then switched to “you should be using bikes”

[–] EuroNutellaMan@lemmy.world -1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Both of my statements are correct. Cars shouldn't have internet and there should be less cars. In total absence of offline cars (meaning no used cars, nothing at all), use bikes and public transportation if you can.

I mean you literally asked for an alternative and I gave you one.

[–] joel_feila@lemmy.world -1 points 5 months ago

Could a Tesla ever work if the cell network went down

[–] bigDottee@geekroom.tech 0 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Assuming that Tesla goes bankrupt, actually shuts down forever, and shuts its servers down…

At a minimum someone would have to find out where the software sends and receives data from. Then you’d have to reverse engineer the software to control the vehicles.

Then you’d have to reprogram the software to send to your C&C server. I don’t think it would really take all that much to host that… it’s getting there that’s difficult.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago (1 children)

You'd likely need all kinds of cryptographic keys to get anywhere with that. Tesla is unlikely to ever publish those, even if they go bankrupt.

[–] dreadbeef@lemmy.dbzer0.com -1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

If I had a Tesla and someone smart enough to hack into I wouldn't doubt I could probably figure out how they build their dashboards and reverse engineer them, they're most likely browser based or qt or something like it. It'd be too costly to do it in anything else and Id bet many spacex dashes are the same tech. But I ain't rich enough to get one of those things so someone else has to. There's only so many ways to draw pixels on a screen in the name of profit

[–] Wilco@lemm.ee -1 points 5 months ago

It sucks that the stick is rising. Trumps asshats are actually investing.