TeslaMate — Self-Hosted Tesla Data Logger and Visualizer

Introduction

TeslaMate is a self-hosted data logger for Tesla vehicles that continuously records driving statistics, charging sessions, battery health, and location history. It stores all data locally in PostgreSQL and presents it through pre-built Grafana dashboards, giving Tesla owners full control over their vehicle data without relying on third-party cloud services.

What TeslaMate Does

• Logs every drive with distance, energy consumption, speed, and route data
• Records charging sessions with energy added, cost calculations, and efficiency
• Tracks battery degradation over time with state-of-health estimates
• Stores location history with geofencing for home, work, and custom locations
• Provides over 20 pre-built Grafana dashboards for data visualization

Architecture Overview

TeslaMate is an Elixir/Phoenix application that polls the Tesla API at configurable intervals to collect vehicle state, drive, and charge data. It persists everything in a PostgreSQL database and uses an MQTT broker to publish real-time updates. A bundled Grafana instance reads from the same database to render dashboards. The system supports multiple vehicles under one Tesla account.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy with Docker Compose including TeslaMate, PostgreSQL, Grafana, and Mosquitto
• Authenticate with your Tesla account via the web UI on first launch
• Set up geofences to automatically label locations like home and workplace
• Configure electricity costs per kWh for accurate charging cost calculations
• Enable MQTT publishing for integration with Home Assistant or other automation platforms

Key Features

• Fully local data storage with no dependency on third-party analytics services
• Automatic sleep detection to avoid draining the vehicle's 12V battery
• Lifetime driving statistics with energy efficiency and cost breakdowns
• MQTT integration for real-time vehicle state in home automation systems
• Active open-source community with regular updates and new dashboard contributions

Comparison with Similar Tools

• TeslaFi — cloud-based with a subscription fee; TeslaMate is free and self-hosted
• Tessie — proprietary SaaS with polished UI; TeslaMate offers more data control
• Tesla official app — limited historical data; TeslaMate stores everything indefinitely
• Teslascope — cloud service focused on fleet tracking; TeslaMate is for individual owners
• Home Assistant Tesla integration — real-time only; TeslaMate adds historical logging and dashboards

FAQ

Q: Does TeslaMate drain my Tesla battery? A: No. TeslaMate detects when the car is trying to sleep and suspends polling to avoid phantom drain.

Q: Can I track multiple Tesla vehicles? A: Yes. All vehicles under your Tesla account are automatically detected and logged.

Q: What Grafana dashboards are included? A: Over 20 dashboards covering drives, charges, battery health, efficiency, mileage, and visited locations.

Q: Is my Tesla account data secure? A: All data stays on your self-hosted server. TeslaMate communicates directly with the Tesla API using your credentials stored locally.

Sources

• https://github.com/teslamate-org/teslamate
• https://docs.teslamate.org/