Tesla's new "Car Access" is now live and the feature will allow car owners to share their prized EVs to people they trust. Up to five drivers can be given the digital key for access to important functions of a car, which makes the trusted users as virtual owners.
Tesla said Car Access empowers owners to add and remove users with the use of their Tesla Account at any given time, indicating that full vehicle management will be exclusive to the actual owner.
The process of getting access begins by downloading the Tesla application and keying in an owner's necessary details and email address. Once the carmaker receives the data from an applicant, the company will send a notice to the owner for approval of the privilege.
Afterward, users can start controlling a Tesla vehicle shared with them and do nearly everything save for asking Road Assistance and making Purchase Upgrades. Teslarati said the new feature seems to work well, and even remotely.
A test conducted by the Tesla-focused news site showed that a Model Y located in Silicon Valley can be manipulated by a user from Pennsylvania. The report said Car Access is one big step that will lead to the realization of Tesla's Robotaxi Fleet.
The ride-sharing service will greatly depend on automated features such as Self-Driving and Autopilot, which when fully implemented will serve as its backbone. For owners willing to enroll their Tesla units on the planned on-demand transportation service, the promise of realizing income on their investments appeared to be compelling.
The estimate from Tesla CEO Elon Musk is when Robotaxi is in full swing, car owners can look forward to earnings of around $30,000 per year. Musk said this is part of the scheme in which a Tesla vehicle will turn into an appreciating asset, thus making car ownership a worthy investment.
Musk boasted too that Robotaxi should be ready in the last months of 2021 though he made clear it would be a phased rollout. Sure enough, Car Access appeared to be available initially in the United States and Canadian users will need to wait a bit more. Most likely, it will be the same when the Robotaxi Fleet is ready to go.
For now, Electrek said Car Access is more of a convenience. The feature will allow Tesla car owners to loan out their vehicles without having to give details of their Tesla account details. The system is certainly a welcome upgrade that points to a better user experience in the near future.
Somehow, Car Access is a hint of how Tesla will make Autopilot and Self-Driving work in a way that will benefit car owners, which could be extended to family members and friends.
