Tesla owner gets stranded after forgetting keys, losing cell service

[RScottyL]

From Tesla owner gets stranded in the desert after relying on phone to start the car

Even if you own a Tesla, you should still carry your car keys at all times.

Tesla owner, Las Vegas investor and entrepreneur Ryan Negri learned that the hard way as he got stranded with his Tesla six miles from home near Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. Negri used the Tesla mobile app to start the car at home, and didn't bring his keys; but when he had to stop and restart the car to adjust a dog seat, there was no cell service, so the start-with-phone method was useless.

"Need to restart the car now, but, with no cell service, my phone can't connect to the car to unlock it. Even with cell service, the car would also need cell service to receive the signal to unlock," Negri described the event on Instagram.

To start the car, Negri's wife Amy had to walk 2 miles to get cell service, then call a friend to take her home and pick up car keys.

Negri told Mashable via a message that he was aware that the mobile app won't start the car without cell signal, but he simply forgot about the poor cell signal in the vicinity.

"Forgot when you get out of the drivers seat, you have to re-initiate the sequence to unlock keyless driving. After I adjusted the dogs bed, I got back in and I had access to the cars display panel and all options besides to drive! I could even play music from my phone because my phone was synced via Bluetooth," he said.

And even though everything ended well, it was still a pretty dangerous situation. "We got out of the car and waited on the side, because it was a thin 2 lane road and it just didn't feel safe. Something worse could have happened," Negri told us.

While taking your car keys when you go for a drive seems like quite an obvious precaution measure, the technology that makes our lives easier can sometimes make us forget the simplest of things. Sure, it's nice to be able to unlock and start your Tesla with a phone, but car keys are still a very valid addition to your pocket necessities.

While acknowledging that not taking the keys was definitely his fault, Negri suggested that Tesla should add a password-protected way to start the car from the mobile app even when there's no signal.

 

[Off Shore]

While acknowledging that not taking the keys was definitely his fault, Negri suggested that Tesla should add a password-protected way to start the car from the mobile app even when there's no signal.

Alternatively he could have his fob surgically implanted in his left gluteus maximus.

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

Negri suggested that Tesla should add a password-protected way to start the car from the mobile app even when there's no signal.

I've definitely had this thought before. I have only gone out once without the keys. It was on purpose, but it dawned on me at the time that if I lost phone service I would be screwed. It would be really nice to be able to leave the fob at home. Would it even be possible for Tesla to use the Bluetooth connection to control the car? Or maybe it could connect directly through Wi-Fi?

 

[jeffro01]

At some point people have to take responsibility for their own actions... Starting the car via the remote app is supposed to be, and is intended to be, a backup option to the FOB, not the primary method of which to start the car...

The guy just needs own his own lack of responsibility and not try to cleverly pivot the discussion back onto Tesla for something Tesla isn't remotely responsible for...

Jeff

 

[mal_tsla]

It can be done over Bluetooth but is non-trivial to do securely.

Apple recently implemented what they claim is a secure implementation of this, where Apple Watch automatically unlocks desktop computers running macOS Sierra.

Whether their solution is secure enough for drive-off use on a $100,000 Tesla is up for debate, but it seems possible.

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

I thought he took responsibility for the mistake, but that he thought it would be nice if Tesla could make an improvement to the feature.

 

[Drone Flyer]

I had this happen outside the Tesla store/Service Centre in Toronto on a weekend.
I misplaced my FOB that day and had to go to service for something.
Realized I didn't have the FOB, tried starting it via the phone but the wifi connection wouldn't work outside for some reason.
Fiddled with it for several hours until, finally, and luckily, I walked right up to the building's window and managed to get a weak signal then I was ok.
The service department was already set to tow my car home.
Tesla should implement a feature on the phone app to start the car via bluetooth regardless of wifi or cell service!

 

[Andyw2100]

...Negri suggested that Tesla should add a password-protected way to start the car from the mobile app even when there's no signal.

So...Negri wants an app that can communicate with the car magically?

 

[woof]

Negri wants an app that can communicate with the car magically

Not magically, just not via RF.

Optical comms will do just fine:
On app, require touchID to activate "unlock mode" (thus need both password to App and fingerprint) On car, enter "unlock mode" on 17" screen which displays 6 digit number. Enter number into app, app generates correct one time code based on time of day, user name, password, etc. Hold phone screen up to AP2 camera or backup camera. Flash QR codes for the camera to read. Level unlocked!

 

[Max*]

Not magically, just not via RF.

Optical comms will do just fine:
On app, require touchID to activate "unlock mode" (thus need both password to App and fingerprint) On car, enter "unlock mode" on 17" screen which displays 6 digit number. Enter number into app, app generates correct one time code based on time of day, user name, password, etc. Hold phone screen up to AP2 camera or backup camera. Flash QR codes for the camera to read. Level unlocked!

Then you'd have people complaining who
1. Don't have fingerprint readers on their cell phones
2. Don't have AP2

No solution is perfect

 

[number12]

If car is unlocked why not have a password on the screen to start? Something obviously wrong with this solution?

 

[dhcp]

Gosh, remember the old days when you had to take your car keys with you when you needed to drive and if you forgot your keys, you couldn't drive? This doesn't seem like it should be such travesty, the Tesla app is a great emergency backdoor but I don't think it was designed for everyday usage and there are a million other important things I'd rather have Tesla focus on than enabling people who forget their keys and think tesla should refocus engineers to solve thair problem.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Then you'd have people complaining who
1. Don't have fingerprint readers on their cell phones
2. Don't have AP2

No solution is perfect

You beat me to it, my phone doesn't have a fingerprint reader, how would that help me?

Whatever solution Tesla does (bluetooth for example), it'll add another attack vector. The app was not designed to be a primary means of starting the car anyways, so I doubt Tesla wants to add another option.

 

[Rockster]

It wasn't long ago that Americans crossed the country in wagon trains, traveling for months without a link back to society, facing peril at every turn—quite literally relying on raw courage, wits, and resolve to merely survive.

Have we really become such a society of helpless, pampered infants that this event is viewed as anything other than "doofus forgets his keys and gets locked out?"

 

[ecarfan]

While acknowledging that not taking the keys was definitely his fault, Negri suggested that Tesla should add a password-protected way to start the car from the mobile app even when there's no signal.

At some point people have to take responsibility for their own actions.

To be fair, he did acknowledge that his situation was his own fault.

I do think his suggestion about a password-protected way to start the car has merit, but I am sure there are security considerations that I cannot envision, as I am not a computer security expert.

 

[deonb]

Simple solution:

Always carry an Iridium Go with you, connect the car to the Iridium Go WiFi first. Position the Iridium Go just right, connect your phone to it, use the Tesla app - and unlock the car. Voila!

Or you could just carry your keys...

 

[Max*]

Or you could just carry your keys...

What is this 2010?

 

[woof]

my phone doesn't have a fingerprint reader, how would that help me?

You need to keep up! Buy the latest Tesla® Phone, complete with integrated key technology. Only $1,200 from the Tesla Accessories web site. Available "real soon now".

 

[deonb]

You need to keep up! Buy the latest Tesla® Phone, complete with integrated key technology. Only $1,200 from the Tesla Accessories web site. Available "real soon now".

Do you really think that if Tesla ever made a phone it will only cost $1200??

But it will be able to connect a phonecall in only 2.8 seconds! Of course, everybody will be upset since they advertised it as 2.5...

 

[CarlK]

Many smart and not so smart suggestions but can we all just agree don't forget to bring the key with you and put this behind us?