Tesla Motors’ popular EVs, the Model S and Model X, pack some of the most advanced automotive technologies at present, despite the fact that owners are in a vulnerable position if they lose their key fob. Tesla intends to solve this problem and plans to introduce a smartphone app to make it easier for owners to track down a misplaced key fob.
Making it easy to find car keys
The Verge points to a new FCC filing that carries details regarding a new key fob, which was tested for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) functionality. There are many reasons why Tesla is interested in adding BLE support to its key fob, and the “find my keys” feature is high on that list of reasons.
Chris Ziegler of The Verge writes that many reasonable theories exist, and “maybe the fob will just use it to connect to the car in lieu of a 315MHz signal, or maybe it’ll use the BLE connection to exchange some data, and perhaps there’s a display or other indicator on the fob. My guess, though, is that Tesla is adding a key finder function.”
If Tesla does come up with something similar, all that an owner would be required to do is open up an app on their smartphone and tap a button. The idea is not new or unique, as there are several products already available that owners can attach with their keys to ensure that locating them is easy.
Tesla fob tech no match for BMW’s
If Tesla is actually working on this, then it will be a very minor addition to its stylish key fob, even though it will have to go a long way before it can catch up to the futuristic key fob that comes with the 2016 BMW 7 series. BMW’s fob is a touch-screen device that allows its owners to perform several functions, among which the most prominent is allowing them to park the vehicle and pull it out of parking spots from outside the car.
The mass-market Tesla Model 3, which is expected to be unveiled in March and hit roads in 2017, is a highly anticipated EV, and who knows? The EV maker might come up with something similar at the time of its release.
