Emergency driver authorization

[SnowY22]

I am new to the Forum. Ordered a Model Y for expected August 2022 delivery. My spouse has asked what happens if only one of us is home and we have an accident where we are incapacitated and could not drive our Tesla and say a neighbor comes over and needs to drive us in our Tesla to a medical center. If the person is NOT already an authorized user of of our car and we simply give them our key card, could they just get in and drive it? What would be the equivalent for a Tesla to a regular vehicle where all a guest driver needs is to find the keys? I am aware we can plan ahead and have others authorized to drive our Tesla, but am asking about the situation where we have not planned that in advance and it is an emergency. Thank you.

 

[jjrandorin]

If the person is NOT already an authorized user of of our car and we simply give them our key card, could they just get in and drive it?

Yes, they can drive it with just the keycard. You tap it to the drivers side door frame pillar to get in, then on the console to start the car if you dont step in the brake to start it in a certain amount of time.

If this is a concern for you (having someone be unfamiliar with it), then you can buy a key fob, which anyone should understand how to use to get in a car.

There is no reason for "non regular" drivers to have app access to your car.

 

[whatthe2]

Yes, they can drive it with just the keycard. You tap it to the drivers side door frame pillar to get in, then on the console to start the car if you dont step in the brake to start it in a certain amount of time.

If this is a concern for you (having someone be unfamiliar with it), then you can buy a key fob, which anyone should understand how to use to get in a car.

There is no reason for "non regular" drivers to have app access to your car.

Just to add to this, if you have a PIN set they will need to know this as well.

 

[bluenycom]

Key card is basically the same as car key in traditional cars. Anyone with it has full access to the car unless you put PIN. You can't even add a phone key to the car unless you have the key card.

 

[Yelobird]

As you have 5 months to delivery it might benefit you to read the manual which is online.

 

[SnowY22]

Thank you all very much! This answers the question. And I watched the tutorial from Tesla - "Physical Controls" which also helped: D N R obvious to non Tesla drivers.

 

[Mike_TV]

@SnowY22 - There is another option to give someone else access to your car without using a keycard or key fob. Using the Tesla mobile app on your phone you can press the Start button, which is used to remotely start the car without any key card or phone present in the car. Once you press it someone will have two minutes to get into the car and put it into Drive.

 

[PACEMD]

We also have this thing called EMS, Emergency Medical Services. Accessible by dialing 911.

 

[Doublea88]

We also have this thing called EMS, Emergency Medical Services. Accessible by dialing 911.

Seriously ? You don't think they know about that and are already way ahead of planning?

 

[PACEMD]

Seriously ? You don't think they know about that and are already way ahead of planning?

You apparently miss the point and humor. If you just want to know how another human being can access your car then ask that. Putting it in terms of a hypothetical medical emergency adds an odd dimension of response that veers from that path. Why not a nuclear attack?

 

[PACEMD]

As an emergency physician, the thought of someone too sick to drive having an uninformed neighbor trying to learn to operate an unfamiliar car leads to one response, EMS. Don't try this at home.