OpenClaw Tesla (tescmd) — Setup Guide

This plugin connects Tesla vehicles to the OpenClaw Gateway via the tescmd node. Once installed and paired, the plugin automatically registers all tools, commands, slash commands, and telemetry event types.

This document covers installation and setup only. Runtime tool usage, workflows, and error handling are provided by the tescmd skill (call tescmd_help for the full reference).

What you get:

• 39 agent-callable tools
• 14 slash commands
• Real-time telemetry streaming
• Supercharger discovery (10,000+ locations via supercharge.info)
• CLI fallback when node is disconnected

Repositories:

• Plugin: https://github.com/oceanswave/openclaw-tescmd
• tescmd node (Python CLI): https://github.com/oceanswave/tescmd

Architecture

Agent (you)
  ↓  tool calls
OpenClaw Gateway
  ↓  node.invoke.request
openclaw-tescmd Plugin
  ↓  WebSocket dispatch
tescmd Node (Python)
  ├─ Tesla Fleet API (REST)
  ├─ Vehicle Command Protocol (VCSEC — signed commands)
  └─ Fleet Telemetry Stream (WebSocket)
  ↓
Tesla Vehicle

The plugin is the Gateway-side counterpart to the tescmd node. It defines tool schemas and routes invocations. The tescmd node handles all direct communication with Tesla.

Setup

Step 1: Check Prerequisites

Before starting, verify the required tools are installed and authenticated.

Required: git

git --version

If missing, install it:

• macOS: xcode-select --install
• Linux: sudo apt install git or sudo dnf install git

Required: GitHub CLI (gh)

gh --version
gh auth status

If gh is not installed:

• macOS: brew install gh
• Linux: see https://github.com/cli/cli/blob/trunk/docs/install_linux.md

If not logged in:

gh auth login

Tell the user: "Please complete the GitHub CLI login in your terminal. Select your preferences when prompted and finish the browser-based auth flow."

Wait for the user to confirm they have completed the login before continuing.

Required: Python 3.11+

python3 --version

Must be 3.11 or higher. If not:

• macOS: brew install python@3.12
• Linux: sudo apt install python3.12 or use pyenv

Recommended: Tailscale

Tailscale provides a public HTTPS endpoint for Tesla Fleet Telemetry streaming with zero infrastructure setup.

tailscale version
tailscale status

If not installed:

• macOS: brew install tailscale or download from https://tailscale.com/download
• Linux: curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh

If not logged in:

sudo tailscale up

Tell the user: "Please complete the Tailscale login in your browser if prompted."

Wait for the user to confirm before continuing.

Step 2: Install the tescmd OpenClaw Plugin

Standard install:

openclaw plugins install @oceanswave/openclaw-tescmd

Verify installation:

openclaw plugins list

You should see the plugin listed with version 0.9.0 (or later).

Plugin management commands:

Step 3: Install the tescmd CLI

pip install tescmd

Verify:

tescmd --version

Step 4: Run tescmd Setup

The tescmd setup wizard is interactive and requires the user to make choices and complete steps in their terminal and browser. You cannot complete this step autonomously.

tescmd setup

Tell the user: "I've started the tescmd setup wizard. This is an interactive process that will walk you through:"

1. Creating a Tesla Developer application
2. Generating your EC key pair
3. Hosting your public key (via GitHub Pages or Tailscale Funnel)
4. Registering with the Tesla Fleet API
5. Completing OAuth2 login in your browser
6. Pairing the key with your vehicle (requires physical presence at the vehicle)

"Please follow the prompts in your terminal and let me know when setup is complete."

Wait for the user to confirm setup is finished before proceeding.

Verify Setup

After the user confirms, check auth status:

tescmd auth status

This should show a valid token. If it shows expired or missing, the user needs to re-run:

tescmd auth login

Step 5: Identify the Vehicle

List vehicles on the account to get the VIN:

tescmd vehicle list

Note the VIN — it is needed for the serve command.

Step 6: Start the tescmd Node and Pair with the Gateway

The tescmd node bridges the Tesla Fleet API to the OpenClaw Gateway. The first connection requires a one-time pairing approval.

First-time pairing:

Start the node with just the Gateway URL (no token needed):

tescmd serve <VIN> --openclaw <gateway_ws_url>

The node sends a node.pair.request to the Gateway and waits for approval. The pending request expires after 5 minutes, so approve it promptly.

In a separate terminal, approve the pairing:

openclaw nodes pending                # View waiting pair requests
openclaw nodes approve <requestId>    # Approve the node

On approval the Gateway issues an authentication token. The node receives it, saves it to ~/.config/tescmd/bridge.json, and establishes the authenticated connection. No manual token handling is needed.

Tell the user: "Start the tescmd node with tescmd serve <VIN> --openclaw <gateway_url>, then in another terminal run openclaw nodes pending and openclaw nodes approve <requestId> to complete pairing."

Wait for the user to confirm pairing is complete before continuing.

Subsequent connections (already paired):

Once paired, the node reconnects automatically using the stored token:

tescmd serve <VIN> --openclaw <gateway_ws_url>

You can also pass the token explicitly if needed:

tescmd serve <VIN> --openclaw <gateway_ws_url> --openclaw-token <gateway_token>

Node management commands:

Operating modes:

Key flags reference:

Environment variables (alternative to flags):

These can be set in ~/.config/tescmd/.env:

TESLA_CLIENT_ID=your-client-id
TESLA_CLIENT_SECRET=your-client-secret
TESLA_VIN=5YJ3E1EA1NF000000
TESLA_REGION=na                    # na, eu, or cn
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_URL=ws://gateway.example.com:18789
OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=your-token
TESLA_COMMAND_PROTOCOL=auto        # auto, signed, or unsigned

Step 7: Verify the Connection

Once the node is running and paired, confirm it connected to the Gateway:

openclaw nodes status

Or use the agent tool:

• Call tescmd_node_status to check connection status

If connected, the plugin's tools are ready. Call tescmd_help for the full runtime reference including tool usage, workflows, and error handling.

Troubleshooting Setup

Configuration

Minimal — the tescmd node handles all vehicle-specific configuration.

{
  "plugins": {
    "entries": {
      "openclaw-tescmd": {
        "enabled": true,
        "config": {
          "debug": false
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

CLI Quick Reference

tescmd CLI Commands

tescmd serve <VIN> --openclaw <url>                              # Start node (uses stored token)
tescmd serve <VIN> --openclaw <url> --openclaw-token <token>     # Start node (explicit token)
tescmd setup                        # Interactive setup wizard
tescmd auth status                  # Check auth token status
tescmd auth login                   # Re-authenticate with Tesla
tescmd vehicle list                 # List vehicles on account
tescmd vehicle info                 # Full vehicle data snapshot
tescmd cache status                 # Check cache stats