"Immobilizer" sure sounds imposing! This device, to help keep the Model S from being stolen, is a mandatory requirement by Transport Canada. On the Roadster, it was implemented by requiring the middle button on the key fob to be pressed after starting the car. One of the great features of the Model S is that, with the key fob in your pocket, the car will open and after you sit in the driver's seat, it is ready to go (no Start button required). Are we in Canada going to have to press some button on the key fob to deactivate the Immobilzer or does the key fob automatically authenticate itself to the car? If we have to do some manual step, that would be a nuisance. Does anyone know if we will have to do something to "start" our Canadian cars?
Here are the requirements: http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/roadsafety/1140rev1_e.pdf I can see nothing in the specification that would require a manual key press. Found additional referenced information Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations section 114. The main standard document appears to be CAN/ULC-S338-98. Usually this sort of standard you have to pay for. I did some web searching and it appears the requirement is that some sort of "tag" device be present in the vehicle and it meets certain technical standards. Looks like no button presses required. But we'll see.
Perhaps this is one of the things, or THE thing that was holding up TC approval. Maybe they just had to educate TC to their new security paradigm, and satisfy TC that they were meeting the requirements, perhaps in an unconventional way. On the other hand, I have learned to live with Roadster scheme, and it does not bug me anymore, so I can get used to something new with the Model S, if required.
I'm curious, how did they get the Performance S for the Yorkdale test drives into the country for road use?
I have become used to the Roadster scheme too but as Prime Mover said, one of the great things about the Model S is having no key and no button to press. you can have the FOB in your coat pocket. If you have to take it out to press something before driving off, it's no longer a convenience over a key and worse than most keyless start systems out there (If you have to press the fob, rather than a button in the car). With the Roadster you need the key anyway so the extra button push is no big deal as you have already pulled the key out of your pocket and have it in hand after inserting in the ignition.
The web site has always shown Model S (both US and Canada) as having "Anti-theft alarm and immobilizer system". What is the difference with the Canadian immobilizer and why wouldn't Tesla just use the same design for both US and Canada?
Apparently the standard Canada is using has some extra requirements that the original immobilizer did not meet. Might be as simple as number of code or as complex as rolling code logic. Not sure; you'd have to purchase the relevant standards document to suss it out.