But what if your smartphone app crashes? You may have a hard time not being able to use your car, which seems to be happening to Tesla owners around the world.
On Friday, some Twitter users reported encountering a “500 server error” when trying to use the Tesla app. That indicates there is a problem with the Internet server the application is trying to connect to.
Jaehwan Cho wrote on Twitter: “Still stuck in Seoul” after reporting a server error earlier when trying to use it with his Tesla Model 3.
The website Downdetector has shown a spike in Tesla server issues reported around 5pm on Friday. It’s not known exactly how many Tesla owners were affected by the outage, or how many were locked out of their vehicles. Tesla, which has not engaged with the professional media for more than a year, did not respond to a request for comment.
Tesla cars also came with a key card that worked like the wireless key that many cars have today. So in a pinch, Tesla owners can still use that to get into their cars and start them up. If set up properly, the phone can also connect directly to the car without going through an Internet server. But drivers who rely solely on the app with an Internet connection have been stuck.
The smartphone app also shows things like the car’s battery charge level and whether it’s charging.
Zachary Kiefer, who was driving an hour from his home in Indiana when the app stopped working, was stuck outside his car for hours. He lost his key card about a month ago and also has a new phone, he said. He eventually called AAA but luckily the app started working again before the tow truck arrived.
Tesla’s customer service didn’t seem particularly helpful, he said. “I was quite disappointed,” he said. “They just don’t seem to care.”
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