What’s happening? Tesla is reportedly reducing features， even removing the car key card?
In the latest Tesla owner’s manual， the description of the complimentary key card has disappeared.
This suggests that Tesla owners might no longer use a key card to access their vehicles， relying solely on the mobile app for operation.
However， if your phone battery dies， don’t worry， Tesla seems to have a backup plan.
Is Tesla discontinuing the key card?
Recently， many have noticed that a standard accessory has vanished from the latest version of the Tesla owner’s manual.
The manual previously stated: “Tesla provides you with two key cards for Model 3/Y， designed to fit easily into your wallet.” This description has now been removed.
This implies that Tesla may completely phase out the standard physical car key， with new owners exclusively using the Tesla app and their smartphones to unlock their vehicles.
Furthermore， this update comes shortly before the anticipated release of a “streamlined” version of the Model 3/Y. Tesla’s official website has also clarified that the key card is not applicable to the Model Y L. Consequently， it is speculated that future Tesla vehicles may no longer include key cards as standard.
Since 2017， the key card has been a standard accessory for Tesla. All Model 3/Y vehicles， as well as Model S/X produced after 2021， came with two key cards and a card holder.
To lock or unlock the vehicle， users would tap the card near the B-pillar on the right side of the driver’s side window. Placing the card behind the cup holder and pressing the brake pedal would allow the car to be started.
However， most owners only used the key card during the initial setup after delivery. For daily use， they overwhelmingly preferred the Tesla mobile app –
With Bluetooth enabled and the Tesla app running in the background， the car would automatically unlock upon approach and lock upon departure， which is considerably more convenient and seamless.
Nevertheless， relying solely on the phone for unlocking presents inconveniences. For instance， in situations where the phone battery is depleted， during valet parking， or when temporarily authorizing another person to use the car， the key card serves as a crucial backup.
If key cards are discontinued， owners who run out of phone battery or misplace their phones might find themselves locked out of their vehicles.
It’s important to note， however， that this revision in the manual has so far only been observed in the United States. Whether it will be implemented globally remains uncertain.
To remove or not to remove? Tesla has not yet issued a clear official response， and overseas netizens are already divided.
Are car owners truly ready for a keyless future?
Regarding Tesla’s potential discontinuation of standard key cards， opinions are mixed among netizens worldwide.
Some argue that key cards are indeed largely unnecessary， with their own cards gathering dust:
However， others maintain that the key card is indispensable， as there are still scenarios where using a phone is inconvenient:
One netizen， who experienced a phone running out of battery， stated they would always carry a key card when going out:
Another person criticized Tesla’s constant feature reductions， suggesting they might as well buy a Toyota instead:
Some netizens expressed understanding and acceptance of the key card reduction， recalling the initial controversy when Tesla discontinued the standard mobile charging connector， which ultimately did not hinder Tesla’s sales:
In reality， removing infrequently used features is a consistent cost-saving strategy for Tesla.
Before the key card， Tesla’s remote key fob was also transitioned from a standard accessory to an optional paid purchase due to perceived low usage frequency.
The cost of two small key cards is not substantial， likely not exceeding $20 USD per card. For Tesla， with annual sales in the millions and net profits in the billions of dollars， saving tens of millions annually is not insignificant.
Especially for the introduction of more streamlined and lower-priced models， cost savings are achieved through these subtle adjustments.
Tesla has consistently been bold in its pursuit of cost reduction:
From removing lumbar support， instrument clusters， gear selectors， and start buttons to now potentially revoking physical keys， Tesla is increasingly embracing “minimalism.”
Many of these radical simplifications， which challenge conventional gasoline vehicle designs， initially faced significant public scrutiny but later set industry trends that competitors emulated.
However， with the current highly competitive electric vehicle market， Tesla’s “divine” aura is gradually fading. The automotive industry and manufacturers are now more cautious about adding or removing features.
For instance， concerning car keys， many domestic new EV startups offer both keyless entry via smartphone and NFC card access， but they generally still provide a physical remote key or a backup card， exhibiting greater caution towards a complete “de-physicalization.”
After all， relying solely on a smartphone key truly carries the risk of being stranded.
One More Thing
Therefore， while Tesla may no longer offer key cards as standard， they are not entirely unavailable.
In fact， car keys can still be purchased.
Owners in need can still purchase physical key cards from the official Chinese website for 209 yuan per set.
Moreover， if there is strong demand for retaining the physical key， Tesla might “listen to feedback” and reinstate it as a standard accessory.
This is reminiscent of the previously removed turn signal stalks， which have now reappeared in the updated Model 3’s configuration list. However， if owners wish to add them， they will have to pay an additional 2，499 yuan.
Only Musk， can other car manufacturers be this daring?
