We are getting used to a level of technology that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. Ryan Negri is the proud owner of a Tesla, and his recent Saturday morning experience just goes to show how much things have changed.
His plan was simple, he and his wife Amy, and their two dogs, were going to go on a Saturday morning excursion to photograph the freshly fallen snow in the mountains that surround their local desert.
Mr. Negri has an app that allows him to start his Tesla with his phone, and that is exactly how he started his car that day.
Everything was going well until after around six miles into the desert, he realized that the dogs’ bed in the back seat needed to be adjusted.
So Mr. Negri got out of the drivers seat, made the adjustments, and then tried to start his car back up.
No dice.
You see, in order for the Tesla app to work, both the car and the cellphone need to have service. And neither one did.
He was able to use the Bluetooth connection to jam out while he waited for his wife to call for help, but because he was in an area without service, the car was useless.
Tesla recommends that owners always have a key on them, because you know, sometimes you need to adjust your dogs’ bed in the middle of the desert.
And if you do that, and you didn’t bring your key, if there is no cellphone service, you would be stranded in the desert with a car that won’t start and a phone that is useless.
Luckily for this tech-savvy couple, Ms. Negri was able to run for a few miles and get a signal on her cellphone.
Which she used to call friends, who brought them the key that Tesla recommends that you carry with you at all times.
I guess this is why you are supposed to have it with you, and they give you two of them.
Tesla rules.
Real bad design. I can understand that you may want to start your car remotely, at least for a diesel engine in cold weather, but the app should also work without a cell signal, with Bluetooth or something.
Regardless, drivers should always carry the key, these apps are just for daily convenience, not emergencies. Even electronic keys usually have a fail-safe design in case their battery gets discharged. That part is not even relevant to Tesla or EVs.
On the positive side, it must be convenient to leverage the amount of stuff you need to carry with you all the time.