After going back on its initial plan, Tesla is finally ditching the bulky key fob!
Tesla has decided to cut the cord with traditions again and no longer plans to supply conventional key fobs with its cars anymore. Although the decision might not sit well with the older generation, the idea seems to align with the EV maker’s target customers. Indeed, Tesla owners apparently don’t really care about the key fob anyway and would rather use their dedicated key cards or mobile app instead. Nonetheless, Tesla key fobs won’t completely disappear, as customers who prefer a physical key can still buy one from their dealer for a little extra money.
Interestingly, the manufacturer justifies doing away with key fobs to reduce electronic waste. But of course, it’s essential to remember that Tesla is not merely just a car manufacturer — it’s also a massive data collection company. And as such, Tesla collects a bunch of data from its users on a regular basis, reportedly to “improve its services.” Consequently, it makes all the sense in the world for the manufacturer to “force” its customers to use their mobile phones as often as possible, instead of a regular key fob, pretty much exempt from any valuable data whatsoever.
That being said, Tesla is not the only carmaker in this position, and several of its competitors are also quickly jumping on the “data collection” bandwagon. As a result, it will be interesting to see if others also follow suit and ditch the bulky keyfob in the near future. However, since most carmakers out there don’t benefit from having such a “trendy” customer base as Tesla’s, we doubt they could make the switch as easily. Still, in an era when everything is slowly embedded into our phones, it’s safe to say that apps will eventually take over.
But is it a good thing? You be the judge!
What about valet parking?
Tesla still provides a keycard for those situations. ✌