What to watch while charging your Tesla

Short answer: While your Tesla charges, open a live TV web app such as tescast in the car browser. For 15 minutes, watch a news bulletin or a short YouTube video. For 30 to 40 minutes, pick a live programme or a match. tescast plays free public channels from more than 50 countries and YouTube, with nothing to install.

tescast is a web app that plays live TV, YouTube and your own IPTV list in the Tesla browser. A charging stop is the easiest time to use it, because the car is parked and you have a screen and a few free minutes.

How long does a charging stop take?

It depends on the model, the battery level and the power of the station. On a fast charger, many stops are short. A very low battery or a busy station makes the wait longer. Look at the estimated charging time on the car's screen and choose what to watch to match it. We do not give a fixed time, because it would be misleading.

The car is in Park while it charges. Tesla's Theater apps work in Park, and tescast adds a ready list of channels and a different catalogue (Tesla owner's manual).

What fits a 15-minute stop?

Choose something with a clear start and end.

• A news bulletin. BBC News, DW, France 24 English, Al Jazeera English and US news streams such as ABC News Live play on tescast. You are up to date in minutes. See live news on Tesla.
• YouTube. A short video, a trailer or the latest upload from a channel you follow fits in 15 minutes. YouTube in tescast has search, follows and history. See YouTube on Tesla.
• Sport headlines. Use the sport channels of the country you picked, or YouTube highlights.

What fits a 30 to 40 minute stop?

This is enough for one episode or a long documentary. One condition: tescast shows live broadcasts. You cannot start any episode at any time, as you can on a streaming service.

1. Open tescast and pick a country with the country button.
2. Choose a channel that is showing something you like.
3. On channels that support it, use "Watch from the start" to restart a running programme.

If you keep your own IPTV list, its movies and series open on demand in the IPTV tab. tescast sells no lists and no content. Add only a list you have the right to use. See IPTV on Tesla.

What about match day?

A match has a fixed start time, so it only fits if it falls in your stop. tescast carries free public channels. Encrypted pay channels such as Sky, DAZN, Eurosport and beIN are not in the list. If your match is on one of those channels, tescast cannot show it. Some broadcasters also leave matches out of their internet stream, and the channel then shows a rights screen. tescast does not get around that.

What internet do you need at a charger?

Connection quality changes from site to site. The car can use Premium Connectivity, Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot. Tesla says that video over cellular needs Premium Connectivity, while Wi-Fi and a hotspot work without it (Tesla connectivity page). To save data, lower the quality. 360p uses about 0.4 GB an hour, 720p about 1.2 GB and 1080p about 2-3 GB. See live TV data use.

What is the setup?

1. Open tescast.app in the car browser.
2. Scan the QR code with your phone.
3. Create an account on your phone. Try it free in your car, no card needed. After that, a plan costs $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year.
4. The car connects. Next time, tescast opens directly.

Three tips for a charging stop

• Choose what to watch as soon as charging starts. Browsing menus eats the first minutes.
• Stop a few minutes before the charge ends, so you can leave the stall in time for the next driver.
• Keep your phone charged. Account and payment tasks happen on the phone.

When you drive off, tescast keeps playing for passengers. The driver does not watch: traffic rules in many countries forbid watching video while driving.

FAQ

What can I watch on a Tesla while charging?

For 15 minutes, a news bulletin or a short YouTube video. For 30 to 40 minutes, a live programme or a match, if it is on a free channel.

How long does a charge take?

It depends on the car, the battery level and the station. Look at the estimate on the car's screen.

Can I watch films and series on demand?

tescast has no film or series library to buy or rent. The free movies section in the IPTV tab has public domain and Creative Commons films. If your own IPTV list has films and series, they open on demand there too. Netflix and Disney+ open through the Apps tab in Tesla's full screen with your own account, while parked.

Where does the internet come from at a charger?

From Premium Connectivity, Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot. Lower the video quality to use less data.

Do I set tescast up again at every stop?

No. The car connects once. After that, tescast.app opens directly.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. Watch for 5 minutes in your car with no card (10 minutes if you agree to campaign e-mails). After that, it is $7.99 a month.

Sources

• Tesla Model Y Owner's Manual: Theater and video streaming (Tesla): Tesla's own video apps work only in Park.
• Tesla: Connectivity (Tesla): Standard and Premium Connectivity, the car's internet connection.