Fetch and auto park

[DGDanforth]

How will one "fetch" their model 3 with a key card? Is that even possible? How will one get out of the car and let it park itself?

With a key fob those are possible for the model S, but for the model 3?

I do not own a smart phone (I am deaf) so will not be able to use a phone to control the car.

Here is what I do once a week:
Go down to my underground parking stall and squeeze into the front seat because the car next to me is very close and I can not open my door all the way. If I had fetch capability with a model 3 then I could stand behind the car and fetch it.
Opening the door would then be no problem and no squeezing would be necessary.

Next I go shopping. When I find a parking space at the market I have to do another squeeze to get out of the car since other cars are next to mine. If my model 3 had auto park capability then I could exit the car and have the car park itself. No squeezing necessary.

I am amazed that no one else (seems) to have mentioned this lack of capability for the model 3. How do you fetch and park with a model 3 (without a phone or key fob)?

 

[chronopc]

How will one "fetch" their model 3 with a key card? Is that even possible? How will one get out of the car and let it park itself?

With a key fob those are possible for the model S, but for the model 3?

I do not own a smart phone (I am deaf) so will not be able to use a phone to control the car.

Here is what I do once a week:
Go down to my underground parking stall and squeeze into the front seat because the car next to me is very close and I can not open my door all the way. If I had fetch capability with a model 3 then I could stand behind the car and fetch it.
Opening the door would then be no problem and no squeezing would be necessary.

Next I go shopping. When I find a parking space at the market I have to do another squeeze to get out of the car since other cars are next to mine. If my model 3 had auto park capability then I could exit the car and have the car park itself. No squeezing necessary.

I am amazed that no one else (seems) to have mentioned this lack of capability for the model 3. How do you fetch and park with a model 3 (without a phone or key fob)?

This technology doesn't exist yet. That's why no one mentioned it.

If you pay for Enhanced Auto Pilot there's something called "Summon" where you can reverse the car out of tight parking spots and go in but you will need a smart phone. Being deft shouldn't stop you from getting a smart phone. I almost never use it as a phone. It's more like a portable computer.

 

[WileyTheMan]

In a nutshell, no one knows. But my guess is you'll need a smartphone for the advanced features such as the ones you mentioned. The keycard is a backup key so you can drive it. I doubt these features are rolled out to the 3 yet anyway.

 

[355rockit]

@DGDanforth
PM when you get the Model 3. I have an extra Android smartphone I can give you for free so you can use for the Model 3 smart features. You can use it as a Bluetooth 'key' to unlock and lock the car as needed. Since you won't have 3G, you can use the phones WiFi to your home WiFi (or if there is access to WiFi nearby) to gain summon or other features on the Tesla app. You can just leave the card-key in your wallet to use in case of emergencies.

 

[chronopc]

I wonder how difficult it would be for Tesla to offer a key fob options.

 

[Stolz25]

How will one "fetch" their model 3 with a key card? Is that even possible? How will one get out of the car and let it park itself?

With a key fob those are possible for the model S, but for the model 3?

I do not own a smart phone (I am deaf) so will not be able to use a phone to control the car.

Here is what I do once a week:
Go down to my underground parking stall and squeeze into the front seat because the car next to me is very close and I can not open my door all the way. If I had fetch capability with a model 3 then I could stand behind the car and fetch it.
Opening the door would then be no problem and no squeezing would be necessary.

Next I go shopping. When I find a parking space at the market I have to do another squeeze to get out of the car since other cars are next to mine. If my model 3 had auto park capability then I could exit the car and have the car park itself. No squeezing necessary.

I am amazed that no one else (seems) to have mentioned this lack of capability for the model 3. How do you fetch and park with a model 3 (without a phone or key fob)?

I understand that you have no use for the voice call portion of a smartphone, but anymore that's like 5% of my actual smartphone use. Texting, apps and internet on the go are great. You might try it one out, I bet you find a lot of use for it.

 

[Stolz25]

I wonder how difficult it would be for Tesla to offer a key fob options.

Difficult isn't really the problem. Clearly they can do it, but the up front costs are going to have to be paid back by the 1% of customers actually willing to pay extra for a fob. Fobs usually cost a ridiculous amount to replace as it is.

 

[chronopc]

Difficult isn't really the problem. Clearly they can do it, but the up front costs are going to have to be paid back by the 1% of customers actually willing to pay extra for a fob. Fobs usually cost a ridiculous amount to replace as it is.

They can pass the extra costs to customers who want the option. Seems like there might be some demand for it.

 

[FlyingKiwi]

They already have fobs for the S/X, cost to put the hardware in a different form factor will be next to nothing. Fobs only cost a fortune because we let car companies rip us off. Anything over $200 and car company should be applying K-Y before giving you the bill because you are about to be reamed.

 

[SpiceWare]

I do not own a smart phone (I am deaf) so will not be able to use a phone to control the car.

Smart phones are the ultimate connected personal computer that just happen to make phone calls. Like @Stolz25, I use mine for things other than phone calls 99% of the time.

 

[DR61]

Also, it doesn't have to be a smart phone. An iPod Touch for instance would work fine.

 

[davedavedave]

I understand that you have no use for the voice call portion of a smartphone, but anymore that's like 5% of my actual smartphone use. Texting, apps and internet on the go are great. You might try it one out, I bet you find a lot of use for it.

OP, I agree - I think you might want to consider a smart phone - most hearing folks don't ise them to talk that much. In addition to the Tesla app, texting and everything else. one interesting feature for deaf folks is that most phones do text-to-speach on voicemails.

Hope this helps...

 

[DGDanforth]

Having never used a smart phone I worry about $$. Not the purchase price but the monthly
connect charges. What is the cheapest service provider? Do I even need one if all I want to
do is control the Model 3?

 

[siggyfreud]

You'd only need service if you wanted to control the cars climate functions (or other remotely available) from a place where you had no wifi. Otherwise you'd be fine I believe.

 

[chronopc]

Having never used a smart phone I worry about $$. Not the purchase price but the monthly
connect charges. What is the cheapest service provider? Do I even need one if all I want to
do is control the Model 3?

The Model 3 connects to the phone via bluetooth so you don't need a service provider.

 

[Jack6591]

i have lost about 75% of hearing. My hearing aids are bluetoothed to my smartphone. Hearing aids have taken a quantum leap in performance over the last few years. I would be difficult for me to drive without the technology (Ambulances, Fire Trucks and Police Sirens). The smartphone app for my hearing aids allows me to fine tune for the environment I'm in.

It would be difficult for me to appreciate what it's like to be deaf though.

 

[355rockit]

Having never used a smart phone I worry about $$. Not the purchase price but the monthly
connect charges. What is the cheapest service provider? Do I even need one if all I want to
do is control the Model 3?

You do not need a provider. An Android cell phone can be used as a smart device without even a SIM. You would just be using WiFi and Bluetooth. I have an old cell phone that I just use as a remote for my home theater using the home theater equipment android apps. It doesn't have a SIM.

 

[Stolz25]

Having never used a smart phone I worry about $$. Not the purchase price but the monthly
connect charges. What is the cheapest service provider? Do I even need one if all I want to
do is control the Model 3?

You wouldn't need service. But you wouldn't have texting either.

I had an old iPhone I used for something similar, a wifi remote in my house, so you definitely don't need a plan with it. Likely you could get an android phone for pretty cheap that did everything you needed. Just make sure it uses the right Bluetooth standard.

 

[gregd]

As a half-way step to a full cell phone plan might be a small tablet. The SIM in my tablet has a phone number for text messaging, but apparently no phone "privileges" as the tablet doesn't even have a phone app installed. From what I can see on my bill, the charges for that line are less than the other phones on our family plan. I presume a single line tablet plan might be similarly cheaper than a phone plan.

That said, if Summon can work over only a BT connection (which I presume it would - consider a basement parking garage), that would be the cheapest path to take.