Why did you cancel your Model 3 reservation?

[seattlite2004]

Why do you have to use the keycard at all if you have your phone on you?

Phone app is cool, but sometimes I leave my phone in the car...so I gotta find a workaround for that event. I can open my garage door with my phone, but homelink or a dedicated opener is much more convenient.

 

[flamingoezz]

My understanding is the phones bluetooth acts as a FOB. If you are within BT range of the car, it should auto unlock, just as your FOB would. keycard would only be used in instances of losing your phone, BT not working etc as an override to gain access to the car. It's not your primary source.

The phone-based unlock also allows the Tesla network to enable access by people essentially using your car as an uber. You're not going to pass around your key fob..

With the FOB, you leave it in your pocket and just walk up to the car and open, then start.....FOB remains in pocket. With the card, you have to take it out swipe, put down to start...it's not that much more convenient that old fashioned keys. For me it's a step way back in convenience. If given a choice, I'd rather have old fashioned keys than the keycard....that way when the 12VDC dies I can at least open and wait in the car for roadside assistance.

 

[Oil4AsphaultOnly]

What about if you're alone and go to the beach and want to surf? I have this problem with the MS too. Without any removable key portion on the fob, you're stuck not being able to lock the car because you can't go into the water with the key fob in your pocket.

Maybe this card is ok to be submerged in salt water? I don't know.

When I had my Volt, it was the same problem, the key fob has a metal key portion that flips out but it's not removable. So when I went to the beach, I was stuck with no way to lock the car.

They make waterproof bags for this. Or if you're careful, a ziplock within a ziplock bag works too.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

the card should be fine in water. think of it as a hotel room key.

 

[McRat]

What about if you're alone and go to the beach and want to surf? I have this problem with the MS too. Without any removable key portion on the fob, you're stuck not being able to lock the car because you can't go into the water with the key fob in your pocket.

Maybe this card is ok to be submerged in salt water? I don't know.

When I had my Volt, it was the same problem, the key fob has a metal key portion that flips out but it's not removable. So when I went to the beach, I was stuck with no way to lock the car.

This seems more of a surfboard design error than an automotive design error.
You would think that after all these decades, surfboards would have a waterproof compartments like many PWC's.

In any case, I grabbed the shop's '17 Volt fob just now, and yes, the metal emergency key is completely removable from the FOB. Perhaps the 2011-2015 doesn't? That's probably correct, but my daughter is driving that one right now. We have never used the key.
We have accidently washed GM fobs in the past, and they still work.

Not sure about other brands, but this happened to one the Volts a couple years ago:

My daughter realized she left her purse w/keys and cell in the car when she was attending a play.
She borrowed a phone from a friend, called home, mom locked the car, then unlocked it when the play ended. Anyone in the family can see where all four of the daily cars are at any time, and lock/unlock them. This is password protected access.

The Volt can be unlocked from any telephone (payphone/landline/cell/satellite) as can all our cars from 2004.5 up. Or can be unlocked with the key, or with the fob.

The fob/key system works for me personally since I seldom carry a cellphone (all our normal vehicles have integrated phones), and I need to always have a shop key with me to access our business. Our house is unlocked via internet, keypad, or mechanical key. Need to do that for the business.

 

[Chopr147]

works for me personally since I seldom carry a cellphone

No cellphone?

 

[brkaus]

the card should be fine in water. think of it as a hotel room key.

Agree with you. Actually this is pretty nice.

Power off phone and leave in car. Carry waterproof key card.

Can't leave the fob in the car (without RF shield of some sort).

 

[shrspeedblade]

I think I would actually sit in/use interface/drive a car before cancelling a reservation I had for a year and a half, unless some external life factor made it necessary, but your mileage may vary. Almost any car I wouldn't buy before doing these things, except a Porsche Carrera GT if I had the coin!

Something many of us, myself included, need to remember on this board is that just one thing can be a make or break factor in a buying decision for a car/house/toaster and it will vary from person to person. For many of us on this board that one factor now is the car having an internal combustion engine or lack thereof, but for someone else it might be trunk space or styling or no 6-speed, or no free pony or you get my drift by now.

If the Model 3 merely looked like the BMW i3 or was as slow as a Prius I would be sticking with my 2nd gen Volt. It's actually a bigger challenge to NOT have at least one factor that loses a sale.

Unless you build your own car at limitless expense, there will always be some compromises in the buying decision. Those naturally vary from person to person, and I find there are far more people I disagree with on this in the world than I agree with. For myself if I came to the conclusion not to buy the car because I don't like it I would not continue returning to the board to whine about it, I'd go to a board for a car I liked or wanted. Life's too short to do otherwise.

Let's just all be glad we do have options and we're not all relegated to 4 cylinder beige Camry's and keep the disagreements civil so this board continues to be a pleasant place to come.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Agree with you. Actually this is pretty nice.

Power off phone and leave in car. Carry waterproof key card.

Can't leave the fob in the car (without RF shield of some sort).

yep. in my current car, I go run on the rail trail, and bring my phone with me anyway (fitness tracker) in an armband.

I have to put my fob in my pocket which can get annoying 20 feet into a 6 mile run.......

I'm certainly going to be in favor of this new way of accessing my car.

 

[McRat]

No cellphone?

My house, business, cars, trucks, wife, and kids all carry phones. So I don't need to.
I have 3? cellphones, but only carry them when there is a need.

My philosophy is that a phone is an appliance for my personal convenience. I don't carry my ohmmeter everywhere either.

BUT!!!! Why don't cells have OVM's in them???? WTF? How dumb is that.

 

[internalaudit]

How many keys can we generate using our phones?

Makes it easy for ride sharing if you can just send the borrower the virtual key to the car.

 

[JeffK]

How many keys can we generate using our phones?

Makes it easy for ride sharing if you can just send the borrower the virtual key to the car.

I believe this is sort of how the future Tesla Network will work.

 

[bak_phy]

I don't carry my ohmmeter everywhere either.

No ohmmeter?

 

[ModelNforNerd]

How many keys can we generate using our phones?

Makes it easy for ride sharing if you can just send the borrower the virtual key to the car.

I'm not super keen on sharing my car out. My wife gets a key. And that's gonna be about it.

 

[MissAutobahn]

No heated buttons on the interior lights!
So many people will cancel I hope.
That means I'll get mine earlier.

 

[internalaudit]

I'm not super keen on sharing my car out. My wife gets a key. And that's gonna be about it.

True. But we will have three drivers and usually cars only come with two sets of keys and one valet.

Also, no more issues with lost keys (if losing phones isn't a big problem).

 

[internalaudit]

Interesting how many from Germany are rooting for Telsa!!!

 

[Cloxxki]

Will the aftermarket make fobs that take a SIM card to seem like a phone to the car? Tiny little keychains?

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Will the aftermarket make fobs that take a SIM card to seem like a phone to the car? Tiny little keychains?

I'm sad I can only pick one "reaction" to this post, so I went with funny over love.

 

[DarkMatter]

Come to think of it, all of the newer wearables have Bluetooth LE. No reason they could not have an Android Wear version of the unlock app, or one that tied in to a FitBit, or anything similar to that.