The Tesla Model 3 is usually operated via a smartphone app, with key cards available as backup, but it looks as though Tesla is bowing to customer pressure and bringing out a separate key fob for its cheapest line of cars – one that looks just like a Model 3.
As spotted by Electrek, new documents passing through the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulatory body in the US detail the specifications of the new key fob and include a couple of photos too. It looks as though Model 3 owners are going to get a new method for unlocking their vehicles sooner rather than later.
The introduction of the new fob won't be much of a surprise – the Model X and Model S cars put out by Tesla already have key fobs that look much like the motors they're attached to, so it makes sense for the Model 3 to finally join the party.
It's been quite a 2018 for Tesla and CEO Elon Musk, and a lot of the major stories involving the car company have centered on the Model 3 – Tesla's attempt to get its vehicles down to a price point that's within reach of the average motorist.
The very first Model 3s hit the road in 2017, but the production lines haven't always been running smoothly since then, with Tesla trying to increase capacity to a point where it's actually turning a profit on these $35,000+ cars (UK pricing has yet to be fixed). At times, Elon Musk himself has been supervising the production lines.
With reports of sabotage from inside the company and the occasional self-driving car wreck to deal with, it looks as though Tesla's future will continue to be rocky for the foreseeable future, even as delivery times start to come down.
