I heard that there was a Tesla stolen in Europe recently. It was recovered thanks to the GPS, with the battery in a very low state of charge.
Anyone heard any more info on this?
Anyone heard any more info on this?
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Tdave
Member
Personally, if my car was stolen and subsequently recovered, I'd rather the battery was not ruined along the way. At least if the 110V cord is in the trunk there's a chance.
tdelta1000
Active Member
Has the story been confirmed???? If the story is true then it seems that the crooks used the oldest method in the book to steal the Roadster.
An alarm proximity sensor key fob should be affective in keeping anyone from driving off if the sensor is not in range of the transmitter. Other manufactures use this same technology today.
An alarm proximity sensor key fob should be affective in keeping anyone from driving off if the sensor is not in range of the transmitter. Other manufactures use this same technology today.
strider
Active Member
When I was looking at buying my Roadster I asked the salesperson this question. I used to drive a 2006 Corvette with this technology and loved it - no key needed, just walk up to car and it unlocks, walk away from car and it locks. The salesperson told me they experimented with a system like that but couldn't get the power consumption down to a reasonable level. I have to admit I was shocked at such a low-tech anti theft system on such a high-tech car. It will be interesting to see what they do with the Model S. For the Roadster I think people have been willing to accept some "quirks" to be one of the first but if they plan to take the Model S mainstream and compete with BMW's, Audi's, Cadillac's, etc. those buyers will expect certain things.
I tried the following experiment with my Roadster: I sat inside the car and used the key fob to lock it. Then, I stuck the key in the "ignition" and turned it on. The car demanded my PIN before it would work.
From this, I conclude that you can't really steal (the US version of) the car by messing with the key unless it's unlocked.
From this, I conclude that you can't really steal (the US version of) the car by messing with the key unless it's unlocked.
The Canadian version requires you to unlock the car with the key fob; otherwise it won't start when you turn the key. And it "forgets" that you unlocked it after about 30 seconds. So it would be pretty hard to steal a Canadian model Roadster without actually having the key in hand.
kgb
Member
There is another thread on this and it has been beaten to death. First off, your salesman's response makes no sense. All the other cars with that technology are able to power it with only the fraction of a standard 12v battery. The real reason is that Tesla purchased the gliders from Lotus with the Lotus steering column. The keyless go (proximity key) can be done, but a physical key in the ignition would still be needed to disable the steering lock. So since it would not be "keyless," the only reason to add that would be to have an additional theft deterrent. As a result there was no impetus to add the additional expense.
strider
Active Member
Timely thread. I've been pondering some of this myself. This is my first soft-top vehicle. My Dad told me that when he owned convertibles back int he day he would always leave the doors unlocked because the cost of whatever you leave inside is less than replacing the top if some one were to cut it to gain access.
However, with the Roadster I'm thinking this is a bad idea because the door locks and "alarm" are integrated. I assume if the doors are unlocked that anyone w/ a large screwdriver could turn the ignition and they would be off. Sounds like from bolosky's post that if it's locked and someone were to do that it would prompt for your PIN. I'm used to my cars having a "smart key" or whatever such that even if the car is unlocked you still need the key to start it but it sounds like the Roadster doesn't.
However, with the Roadster I'm thinking this is a bad idea because the door locks and "alarm" are integrated. I assume if the doors are unlocked that anyone w/ a large screwdriver could turn the ignition and they would be off. Sounds like from bolosky's post that if it's locked and someone were to do that it would prompt for your PIN. I'm used to my cars having a "smart key" or whatever such that even if the car is unlocked you still need the key to start it but it sounds like the Roadster doesn't.
I just recovered my stolen Tesla. We got home from a weekend trip and as soon as we opened the garage door it was obvious the Tesla had been stolen. We called the police who were, with the license plate number, able to acknowledge that a watchman at a commercial property had called it in as a suspicious vehicle. Strangely it had been deserted with the windows open (I leave the hard top on) with the keys left on the seat. The police had it towed to one of their yards and I was able to recover it. As I said it was stolen out of our garage in a manned gated community and the driver's door was damaged to a very minor extent when it was pulled out of the garage. I should note that I used no security because I've never been exposed to a car thief before. According to the police the thief could very easily have opened the garage door with a coat hanger, and he showed us the scuffed paint where this had probably been done. The thief went into our house from the garage and found the key and yet didn't steal anything else. Bizarre.
I think I will be using the code in the future. I presume this was a joy rider but it seems like the thief took a big risk for a purpose I can't comprehend. I feel like a very lucky fool.
I think I will be using the code in the future. I presume this was a joy rider but it seems like the thief took a big risk for a purpose I can't comprehend. I feel like a very lucky fool.
Glad you got your car back, and I hope the damage isn't too bad.
The truth is there are a lot of complete fools out there. Recently a car was clocked in Montreal doing 240 kph in a 70 kph zone (150 mph in a 44 zone). The guy was fined $2,598 and 42 demerit points (4 points will drive your insurance through the roof) and a 6 month suspension.
CBC News - Montreal - Quebec speeder clocked at 240 km/h
Later they found out that the guy worked at a major Montreal hotel, and was supposed to be valet parking the car. I expect he also lost his job...
The truth is there are a lot of complete fools out there. Recently a car was clocked in Montreal doing 240 kph in a 70 kph zone (150 mph in a 44 zone). The guy was fined $2,598 and 42 demerit points (4 points will drive your insurance through the roof) and a 6 month suspension.
CBC News - Montreal - Quebec speeder clocked at 240 km/h
Later they found out that the guy worked at a major Montreal hotel, and was supposed to be valet parking the car. I expect he also lost his job...
benji4
Roadster 2.5 #0476
So glad it came back, and undamaged. So many of my friends cars have been trashed. At least this person had the decency to leave it safe. Ironically, I wonder, if you'd met this person socially and they'd have asked to have a drive, would you have said yes? I suspect so.
I have a lead on that; 3.9 or thereabouts.
I have a lead on that; 3.9 or thereabouts.
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