Tesla down: Worldwide app server outage

On November 19, a server failure lasting several hours caused displeasure among Tesla drivers all over the world. Due to a connection error between the car and the smartphone app, a connection was not possible.

Worldwide Tesla outage

Tesla’s electric cars are unlocked via smartphone app, and the engine is also started via app. It’s just stupid when a connection error occurs in the process. Owners all over the world had to find this out on November 19, when a worldwide error paralyzed the communication between the car and the Tesla app.

At least the cars could still be opened and started in combination with a keycard or a smartphone connected via Bluetooth. Without a card or link, however, use was not possible for several hours.

The server error 500 was displayed in the Tesla app, so it is not possible to say exactly what the problem was. Following a tip from a Twitter user, Tesla CEO Elon Musk addressed the problems and confirmed shortly after that the problem was apparently related to an increased network load.

New Tesla app as problem?

Tesla had only recently made a new version of its app available. It is unclear whether the update caused the worldwide outage. App-wise, Tesla owners are offered various control options even remotely. For example, the charging progress can be viewed remotely, the temperature can be controlled, and the panorama roof can be tilted and opened.

However, according to Tesla, the problems had been solved by the morning of November 20, so that communication between the electric vehicles and the app was available again without restrictions.