Maps and Navigation

Map Overview

The touchscreen displays a map at all times (except when Model S is shifted into Reverse).

Use your finger(s) to interact with the map:

  • To move the map in any direction, hold and drag a finger.
  • To rotate the map in any direction, hold and turn two fingers.
  • To zoom the map in or out, expand or pinch two fingers, respectively.
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When you rotate or move the map, your current location is no longer tracked. The message "Tracking Disabled" displays briefly next to the map orientation icon and the icon turns gray. To re-enable tracking, touch the map's orientation icon and choose North Up or Heading Up.
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The map zooms in and out automatically when a navigation route is active.

To change the orientation of the map, toggle between these options:

North Up: North is always at the top of the screen.
Heading Up: The direction you are driving is always at the top of the screen. The map rotates as you change direction. This icon has an integrated compass that indicates the direction you are driving.
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Touching this icon while navigating to a destination displays the route overview.
Route overview is available when you are navigating to a destination and displays when you expand the turn-by-turn direction list (by swiping it downward). When you collapse the turn-by-turn direction list by swiping it upward, the map displays your previously chosen orientation.

Map Display

When Model S is in Park, the following icons display on the map to allow you to customize the type of information the map displays. To access these icons when driving, touch anywhere on the map (they disappear after a few seconds).

globe icon
Satellite imagery (if equipped with premium connectivity).
stoplight icon
Traffic conditions (if equipped with premium connectivity).
teardrop icon with black dot in middle
Map details (such as points of interest).

Drop a pin anywhere on the map by pressing and holding your finger on a desired location. When you drop a pin, or touch an existing pin, the chosen location is centered on the map and a popup screen provides information about the location. From this popup, you can navigate to the location add or remove the location from your list of favorite destinations (see Home, Work, and Favorite Destinations).

Charging locations icon

Charging locations. Shows a popup list that includes the city and proximity of the corresponding stations on the map. Charging locations include Tesla Superchargers, destination charging sites, third-party fast chargers, and public chargers that you have used previously. See Charging Locations. Touch the lightning bolt icons in the popup list to filter by the types of chargers based on max power.

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In some market regions, third-party fast chargers are also included on the map as dark gray pins when you display chargers.

Navigation Settings

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The navigation settings available can vary depending on region and vehicle configuration.
The navigation settings icon displays when you touch ... once you start navigating to a destination.
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You can also access navigation settings by touching Controls > Navigation.

Touch the navigation settings icon to customize the navigation system to suit your preferences (the available settings vary depending on your market region and vehicle configuration):

  • Navigation Guidance: Touch Voice to enable an audible reading for navigation instructions.
  • Touch - or + to increase or decrease the volume of spoken navigation instructions. Decreasing all the way to the left or touching the speaker icon mutes the instructions. You can also mute/unmute navigation instructions by touching the speaker icon. This volume setting applies only to the navigation system's spoken instructions. Volume for Media Player and Phone does not change.
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    Volume may automatically be adjusted based on driving speed and climate settings.
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    Navigation instructions are muted when the paired phone has an ongoing phone call.
  • Enable Automatic Navigation if you want Model S to automatically initiate a navigation destination when you get in your vehicle. Destinations are predicted based on commonly driven routes, time of day, and calendar entries (see Automatic Navigation).
  • Enable Trip Planner (if available in your market region) to add Supercharger stops as needed. Supercharging stops are added to navigation routes with the goal of minimizing the amount of time you spend driving and charging (see Trip Planner).
  • Enable Online Routing to automatically route to avoid heavy traffic (see Online Routing).
  • Touch Avoid Ferries to be automatically routed to avoid ferries.
  • Touch Avoid Tolls to be automatically routed to avoid tolls, if possible.

Navigating to a Destination

To navigate to a location, touch the search bar in the corner of the map and enter a destination, send the destination from your phone, or use voice commands (see Voice Commands) for an address, landmark, business, etc. If the destination you choose has other destinations within it (such as terminals at an airport), you can also choose a sub-destination.

Touch the search bar for different options:

  • Refresh a search when you zoom in or drag to a different area of the map by tapping Search this area when prompted (if available in your region).
  • Choose a saved Home or Work location (see Home, Work, and Favorite Destinations).
  • Select a Charging destination (see Charging Locations).
  • Pick from Recent destination (the most recent destination is listed at the top).
  • Choose a destination you have marked as a Favorite (see Home, Work, and Favorite Destinations).
  • A popular restaurant when you're feeling Hungry or a popular destination (such as museums and amusement parks) when you're feeling Lucky (see Lucky and Hungry).
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You can start navigation remotely from your IOS® or Android™ device using the "share" functionality on your device after allowing access to the Tesla mobile app.

When you specify a location, the touchscreen zooms out to provide an overview of the route you need to travel and displays a turn-by-turn direction list. Estimated arrival time, driving time, and mileage displays at the bottom of the direction list. Note the following about the turn-by-turn direction list:

  • The Battery icon on the turn list provides a visual representation showing an estimate of how much energy will remain when you reach your destination, and how much will remain if you make a round trip back to your current location. See Predicting Energy Usage.
  • If charging is needed to reach your destination and Trip Planner is enabled (and available in your market region), the navigation route automatically includes Supercharger stops (see Trip Planner).
  • If you won't have enough energy to reach your destination and there is no Supercharger on the route, an alert tells you that charging is needed to reach your destination.
  • Each turn is preceded by the distance to the maneuver.
  • To see the bottom of the list, you may need to drag the list upward.
  • Touch the top of the list to minimize it.

After setting a destination, the search bar gives you the option to Search Along Route to add stops (see Adding Stops to a Route).

While navigating, the map tracks your location and displays the current leg of your trip. You can display the entire route at any time by swiping down to expand the turn-by-turn direction list or touching the route overview icon.

Below the turn-by-turn list, a progress bar shows how close you are to your destination or next stop. If online routing is enabled, the progress bar also shows live traffic conditions on your route (see Online Routing).

To stop navigating, touch Cancel, located in the bottom corner of the turn-by-turn direction list. Swipe right on the suggested location or press and hold the location to quickly delete certain recent navigation searches.
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If a data connection is not available, onboard maps allow you to navigate to any destination, but you must enter the exact and complete address.
If Navigate on Autopilot(if available in your market region) is enabled, you can turn it on for the navigation route by touching Navigate on Autopilot in the turn-by-turn direction list (when the feature is active, the icon is blue). Navigate on Autopilot automatically changes lanes and steers Model S on controlled-access roads (like highways and freeways), along a navigation route. For details, see Navigate on Autopilot.

Selecting an Alternate Route

Depending on market region and vehicle configuration, this feature may not be available on your vehicle. Your vehicle must be equipped with Premium Connectivity.

After you have entered a destination with one stop, the map displays up to three alternate routes. This allows you to easily compare total travel time and traffic information for each route. If you do not select a preferred route within the timeout period, the fastest route is automatically selected.

Adding Stops to a Route

After entering a destination, edit your route by adding, deleting or reordering stops. Touch the three dots at the bottom of the turn-by-turn direction list to view options to edit your route.

tear drop icon with plus
Add Stop allows you to add a stop by searching for a location or adding a Home, Recent or Favorite destination. When you search, locations near your route are shown along with the detour time to reach them. You can also add a stop by touching any pin on the map and selecting Add from the popup.
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Edit Stop allows you to set up a complex trip by adding or deleting stops on your route. Drag and drop stops by touching the equal sign to reorder your trip.

You can also use the Tesla mobile app to edit your route (if available in your region). In the Tesla mobile app, go to Locations > Navigate and enter a destination, touch Edit Trip > Add Stop to edit your route, then touch Send to Car to share the trip with your vehicle.

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Requires Tesla mobile app version 4.27.5 or newer.

Automatic Navigation

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Automatic Navigation may not be available in all market regions and on all vehicle configurations.

Automatic Navigation can predict a destination when you get in your vehicle. When your phone's calendar is synced to Model S, and the calendar includes an event that takes place within two hours of when you get in your vehicle to drive, Automatic Navigation suggests the location of the event (assuming a valid address is associated with the event).

In addition, if you are Home and drive on weekdays (Monday to Friday) from 5:00 AM to 11:00 AM, Automatic Navigation can automatically route you to your specified Work location (see Home, Work, and Favorite Destinations). Likewise, if you are at work on weekdays from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM, Automatic Navigation can automatically route you to your specified Home location.

To enable Automatic Navigation, touch Controls > Navigation > Automatic Navigation. You must have your phone's calendar synced to Model S and the event must include a uniquely specified and valid address (see Phone, Calendar, and Web Conferencing).

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Navigation instructions that you enter manually, or send to Model S, override routes suggested by Automatic Navigation.

Lucky and Hungry

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Features may not be available in all market regions and on all vehicle configurations.

In addition to navigating to a destination of your choice, Model S can also suggest nearby locations based on whether you are feeling Hungry or Lucky. In the navigation search bar, touch Hungry or Lucky. Hungry suggests a list of popular restaurants, whereas Lucky suggests a list of popular destinations (such as museums and amusement parks). Once you discover an interesting destination, touch Navigate to proceed to the destination.

This feature requires the latest version of Navigation maps. To download, connect Model S to Wi-Fi and touch Controls > Software to check if an update is available (see Map Updates).

Home, Work, and Favorite Destinations

If you frequently drive to a destination, add it as a favorite to avoid entering the location's name or address each time. When you add a destination as a Favorite, you can easily navigate to it by touching the navigation search bar and then touching Favorites and choosing it from your list of favorite destinations.

To add a destination to your Favorites list, touch its pin on the map, then touch the star icon on the popup screen that appears. Enter a name (or leave as-is to accept the default name), then touch Add to Favorites. The star becomes solid and the destination is included on your Favorites list.

To delete a Recent or Favorite destination, touch it on the destination list and hold it down briefly until the X appears. Then touch the X to delete it from the list.

Home and Work locations also display under the navigation search bar. Touch to set an address to the corresponding location. After entering the address, touch Save as Home or Save as Work. Then simply touch these shortcuts whenever you want to navigate home or to work.

To change or delete the corresponding address, press and hold the Home or Work icon. A popup allows you to enter a new address and Save as Home or Save as Work. Once a Home or Work location is saved, Model S may prompt you to navigate to your Work location in the mornings and to your Home location in the evenings and provide an estimated driving time based on current traffic conditions. See Automatic Navigation. Touch Clear Home or Clear Work to remove associated addresses entirely. Based on your usage patterns, Model S may prompt you to save a location as Home or Work.

For security reasons, if you sell , transfer ownership, or allow others to drive Model S, it is recommended that you delete your Home and Work locations. You can delete these individually or you can perform a factory reset to erase all personal data (touch Controls > Service > Factory Reset).

Charging Locations

To display charging locations on the map, touch the map's search bar, then touch Charging. Charging locations are shown in a list (with the closest charging location at the top of the list) and represented by corresponding pins on the map. Touch a pin to display more information, navigate to, or mark it as a favorite.

Touch the lightning bolt icons to specify the types of charging locations you want the map to include (by default, the map displays only Superchargers):

one lightning bolt
Touch to include low power stations up to 25 kW, such as destination charging locations.
two lightning bolts
Touch to include medium power chargers 25 kW to 75 kW.
three lightning bolts
Touch to include high power chargers 75 kW and above.
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In some market regions, third-party fast chargers are also included as dark gray pins when you choose to display all charging stations.

The appearance of a charging location's pin reveals the predicted status about the location. Touch the pin to display details.

The Supercharger location is operational and the number displayed on the pin represents the predicted number of available Supercharger stalls upon arrival.
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A Supercharger located on your current navigation route is colored black (or white, if the touchscreen is in night mode).
The Supercharger location is predicting a high volume of users. You may need to wait before charging.
The Supercharger location may be operating at a reduced capacity.
The Supercharger location may be closed.
The Supercharger location has no data available but should be operational.
The location is either a destination charging location, a third-party fast charger, or a public charging station that you have previously used. Touch to display more information such as usage restrictions and available charge current.
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When the map is zoomed out and more than one destination charging location is available in an area, the pin is round and displays the number of stations. Touch the pin to zoom in. Then you can touch an individual pin for details about a specific location.

Touch a charging location's pin to display a popup from which you can:

  • Determine its exact location and approximate distance from your current location.
  • Determine if a Supercharger location is trailer friendly. A trailer-friendly Supercharger location includes Supercharger stalls that allow you to pull through and charge while a trailer is attached to your vehicle.
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    If Model S is in Trailer Mode (if equipped), the map displays trailer-friendly Supercharger locations at the top of the list.
  • View amenities that are available at the charging location, including restrooms, restaurants, lodging, shopping, and Wi-Fi. On a Supercharger popup, touch an amenity icon to search the surrounding area for the associated amenity.
  • Touch the arrow icon to navigate to the charging location.
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    When navigating to a Supercharger (or third-party fast charger in some regions), Model S preconditions the Battery to prepare for charging. This ensures you arrive with an optimal Battery temperature, reducing the amount of time it takes to charge. In some circumstances (such as cold weather), it is normal for the motor(s) and components to make noise as it generates heat to warm the Battery (see Charging).
  • View how busy a Supercharger location typically is during different times of the day, along with corresponding charging fees and idle fees (see Supercharger Fees).

Predicting Energy Usage

When navigating to a destination, Model S helps you anticipate your charging needs by calculating the amount of energy that remains when you reach your destination. When navigating, the map displays this calculation next to the Battery icon on the turn-by-turn direction list (see Navigating to a Destination). When the turn-by-turn direction list is compressed, touch the top of the list to expand it.

The calculation that predicts how much energy you will use is an estimate based on driving style (predicted speed, etc.) and environmental factors (wind speed and direction, ambient and forecasted temperatures, air density and humidity, etc.). As you drive, Model S continuously learns how much energy it uses, improving accuracy over time. Model S predicts energy usage based on the driving style of the individual vehicle. For example, if you drive aggressively for a period of time, future range predictions will assume higher consumption. Some factors that contribute to predicted energy (such as forecasted temperatures and wind speed) are available only when Model S has internet connectivity.

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If you purchase a used Tesla vehicle, it is recommended that you perform a factory reset (Controls > Service > Factory Reset) to ensure the predicted energy is as accurate as possible.

Throughout your route, Model S monitors energy usage and updates the estimate of energy remaining at the end of your trip. A popup warning displays on the turn-by-turn direction list in these situations:

  • A yellow warning displays when you have very little energy remaining to reach your destination, requiring you to drive slowly to conserve energy. For tips on conserving energy, see Getting Maximum Range.
  • A red warning displays when you must charge to reach your destination.

To determine if you have enough energy for a round trip, touch the Battery icon on the turn-by-turn direction list to display an estimated calculation of your round trip energy usage.

Online Routing

Model S detects real-time traffic conditions and automatically adjusts the estimated driving and arrival times. In situations where traffic conditions may delay your estimated time of arrival and an alternate route is available, the navigation system can reroute you to your destination. To decline the alternate route, tap the reroute notification on your touchscreen. You can also specify the minimum number of minutes that must be saved before you are rerouted. Turn this feature on or off by touching Controls > Navigation > Online Routing.

Trip Planner

Trip Planner (if available in your region) helps you take longer road trips with confidence. If reaching your destination requires charging, Trip Planner routes you through the appropriate Supercharger locations. Trip Planner selects a route and provides charging times to minimize the amount of time you spend driving and charging. To enable Trip Planner, touch the map's settings icon (see Navigation Settings), then touch Trip Planner.

When Trip Planner is enabled and charging is required to reach your destination, the turn-by-turn direction list includes Supercharger stops, recommended charging times at each Supercharger, and an estimate of how much energy will be available when you arrive at the Supercharger location.

To remove Supercharger stops and display directions only, touch Remove all charging stops at the bottom of the turn-by-turn direction list. If you remove charging stops, the turn-by-turn direction list may display an alert indicating that charging is needed to reach your destination. To add Supercharger stops back to the turn-by-turn direction list, touch Add charging stops.

While charging at a Supercharger, the charging screen displays the remaining charging time needed to drive to your next Supercharger stop or destination (if no further charging is needed). If you charge for a shorter or longer length of time, charging time at subsequent Supercharger stops is adjusted accordingly. You can also use the mobile app to monitor remaining charging time needed.
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When navigating to a Supercharger or, in some regions, a third-party fast charger using Trip Planner, Model S may allocate some energy to pre-heat the Battery to arrive at the Supercharger or third-party fast charger with an optimal Battery temperature. This reduces charging time (see Charging).

If Trip Planner estimates that you won't have enough energy for your round trip, and there are no Superchargers available on your route, Trip Planner displays an alert at the top of the turn-by-turn direction list notifying you that charging is needed to reach your destination.

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If a Supercharger on your navigation route experiences an outage, Trip Planner displays a notification and attempts to reroute you to a different Supercharger location.

Map Updates

As updated maps become available, they are automatically sent to Model S over Wi-Fi. To ensure you receive them, periodically connect Model S to a Wi-Fi network (see Wi-Fi). The touchscreen displays a message informing you when new maps are installed.