Apple Shortcut Availability Checker

General discussion
#1

Morning,

For these of us waiting for specific vehicles to be available in our area, checking the Onto site multiple times an hour can become tiresome. I put together an Apple Shortcut to check availability at my postcode earlier, and thought it might be of use to some of you.

https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/d05bfb76ee614baa917e8a50bfd51954

When imported, it’ll ask you for your delivery postcode, and to edit the list of cars that you are interested in. You can match a specific vehicle “uid” here, for example…
volkswagen-id3-family-pro-performance

or something partial, for example…
volkswagen-id3

… if you were interested in any ID3 (because this matches both vehicles).

You can enter multiple cars here too if you are waiting on the Etron or the Jag.
jaguar-i-pace-hse
audi-e-tron

It’ll run on any Mac, iPhone, iPad, or even the Apple Watch if you want to check on Tesla availability from your wrist.

Hope it’s useful to some.

Mark

11 Likes
#2

Just tried it.

Very clever. Cheers.

4 Likes
#3

As a nice add on to this too, because this is running in Shortcuts, you can set it up to automate a variety of things if your search finds the car you want.

For example -

  • Flash your house lights on and off multiple times in celebration
  • Send an automatic text to your partner (warning them of an increase in monthly outgoings because you’re about to order an E-from)
  • Find the next available day in your calendar (to book delivery)
  • or…. all three of the above.

Sure you can also come up with your own ideas :laughing:

5 Likes
#4

Great shortcut/automation! Thanks!

3 Likes
#5

Great work!

I’ve added it to my shortcuts and customised accordingly.

To be honest I never really knew what you could do with shortcuts as I only glanced at it a few times. Sounds pretty useful from what you’ve achieved. I’d be interested to know what other clever things you’ve done with them?

1 Like
#6

I develop iPhone apps for a living, and lead teams of engineers that do the same thing, so I could geek out on this stuff for hours.

Shortcuts is great, particularly if you’ve got the time and the patience to build up these workflows. Having a home and life that’s fully controlled by your phone helps with your options too.

Tesla have a public api too, so as soon as a Tesla becomes available and I manage to book it in time - expect more :smile:

4 Likes
#7

Loving it!

Just tweaked a few shortcuts and the like … added this!

It’s fantastic to get such a quick availability check on the fly.

(Looking for something in specific, narrow range, maybe Dec and Jan….)

:clap:

1 Like
#8

Thanks, glad it’s useful to more than just me.

It helped me secure a Model 3 when one became available, and I’ve now got it set to anything including the letter Y :eyes: :joy:

1 Like
Audi Q4 e-tron
#9

Hahaha!

I “tested” it on a shortlist. Put the Tesla in there and it flashed up earlier with one being available…

…and, of course, within a few hours that one’s gone :joy::joy::joy:

I’m not sure if I want to try a Tesla just for a short time, or not! (Seems a lot of money - which is a slightly daft thing to think in the context of embracing the all-inclusiveness of the proposition)

Anyway, I’m clearly going to have endless fun running that shortcut and seeing what comes out of the lottery!!!