5 Tips to Optimize Your Website for Tesla’s In-Car Web Browser (Model S, 3, X, Y)

Most web developers know how to optimize their sites for popular web browsers like Apple’s Safari, Firefox, and Chrome—but did you know that Tesla’s in-car browser is quickly gaining popularity, yet there aren’t any guides on optimizing for your site for it?

Well, that is—until today! That’s right—here at Web Hosting Buddy, we’re committed to providing some of the best tech tips and tricks out there, and that includes learning how to optimize your website for a wide range of users, browsers, and devices!

Tesla vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, so it only makes sense to put out a how-to guide on optimizing for their in-car web browser!

Tesla’s Web Browser—Which Vehicles Have It?

Tesla’s web browser is standard in all vehicles (except the original Roadster). This means that Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y all have the web browser.

In order to use it, Tesla drivers simply tap the “car” icon, and then “Web” which loads the browser. It can also be used in full screen mode as well, which gives the user a bit more space to work with.

And according to Find My Electric, even pre-owned Teslas have this browser too—so if you’re thinking of purchasing a used Model 3, for example, and are worried that you might not have access to this feature—you will! Also, according to the EV website Electrek, you don’t need any type of subscription (such as Tesla’s Premium Connectivity package) to use it (as long as you’re connected to WiFi).

So, there are a lot of Tesla owners out there with this browser, and with the popularity of Teslas increasing by the day, it makes sense to optimize for it!

Is Tesla’s In-Car Browser Based on Any Open-Source Framework?

Yes, it is! Tesla’s latest web browser is based on Chromium—Google’s open-source web browser project, which is awesome because many WordPress themes already include CSS support for Chromium as it is (so in many cases, additional optimization doesn’t need to be done).

That said, let’s take a look at some of the best tips for optimizing your site for Tesla’s in-car web browser!

Tips for Optimizing Your Website for Tesla’s Browser

Below are some of our favorite tips for making sure that Tesla users have a great experience with your website!

1) Pay Attention to Your Desktop CSS

Yes, we do live in a mobile-first world nowadays when it comes to CSS and web performance, but it’s important to note that Tesla’s in-car web browser (found in Model S, 3, X, Y) actually serves the desktop version of web pages, not the mobile version.

This means that your desktop website game should be on point, so to speak, and there shouldn’t be any issues when switching from mobile to desktop.

2) Ensure Compatibility for 1920 x 1200 Resolution at 17-Inches to Cover the Model S and Model X Displays

Both the Tesla Model S and Model S use a vertically-oriented 17-inch tablet display at 1920 x 1200 resolution, which means that you need to ensure that your website is compatible for that resolution and screen size.

Luckily, this is a common resolution and screen size, so it’s not an odd device that you need to detect and apply additional CSS on the fly.

3) Double-Check Compatibility for 1920 x 1080 Resolution at 15-Inches to Cover the Model 3 and Model Y Center Screens

In the Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, there is a horizontally-mounted 15-inch touchscreen display that serves as the main control panel for all vehicle functions, and also as the interface for the web browser.

The resolution on this display is 1900 x 1080, which again—is a standard web resolution, so not too hard to optimize for—you just need to double check that your CSS is on point.

4) Make Sure Tap Targets Are Sized Appropriately for a Desktop Touch Screen

Not only does your site have to be optimized for Chromium’s desktop browser at the above-mentioned resolutions, but it also needs to be dialed in for human hands—because Tesla’s in-car browser is all touch-based.

With this in mind, make sure that buttons aren’t too small to be tapped without a mouse, and that all text spacing is appropriately set.

5) Don’t Forget About Web Performance

The computer that power’s Tesla’s web browser doesn’t have the same level of processing power, memory, or storage as a dedicated laptop or desktop—so sites that have a poor web performance score will generally suffer more on a Tesla browser than on a regular computer.

So, make sure that your sites loads fast and is dialed in for the best possible web performance.