There is no classic car key for a Tesla. But despite modern alternatives, you can still only open a vehicle from this manufacturer with the associated card or transponder. Or the app, if you have activated it accordingly. However, the fact that you can use a Tesla app to open other people’s vehicles should definitely not be the case – but according to a man from Canada, it happened.
A man named Rajesh Randev reported to “Globalnews” who described an experience that disturbed him. In early March, he went to pick up his kids from school and rushed into the parking lot where his white Tesla Model 3 was parked next to an almost identical car. This can happen quite often, because the white paint is Tesla’s standard color. Any other painting costs a lot of money.
Randev ran to his car and got in. Thanks to the app, the vehicle opened when he approached, so he could drive off immediately. But something was different. First he noticed a crack in the windshield, which was new to him. His smartphone charger was also missing. Something wasn’t right, but he continued driving.
Randev then called his wife and asked about the damage to the window – but she didn’t know anything. He drove on confused. After ten minutes he received a message on his mobile phone – unknown number. A person on the other end of the line asked him if he was driving a Tesla – and if so, that it was the wrong car.
Randev stopped and checked the car. In fact, he then noticed that the car had different rims. He called the unknown number. According to the Washington Post, a certain Mahmoud Esaeyh answered the other end. It turned out that Esaeyh had lent his brother the car to do some shopping. He was shocked and said the car was gone – and instead a similar Tesla with a different interior was in the parking lot.
He immediately provided the explanation of where the alleged robbed person got the number from: his brother also managed to use his key card to gain access to Randev’s Tesla, in which he found documents with his cell phone number. Both were very surprised that they each had access to someone else’s vehicle.
Randev asked permission to complete his pick-up drive and then swap cars. Esaeyh agreed. For another hour and a half there were no problems with the other vehicle, Randev later described.
Even if the situation sounds funny – for Randev and the two brothers it obviously leaves a feeling of insecurity. “If a normal person was able to gain access [to someone else’s car] because of a malfunction or software or whatever reason… the hackers can do anything, right?” Randev told the Washington Post.
Esaeyh also comes to a similar conclusion: “I can’t throw the car away just because I don’t feel safe with it,” says The Washington Post, “… but to be honest, it’s a bit scary at times . I’m afraid something like this could happen again.”
In the social networks, many consider the reports that Randev confirmed to numerous media in front of the camera to be a duck. “If that were true, we wouldn’t be hearing this from just one man. There’s certainly another part of this story that we don’t know yet,” one user wrote on Twitter. “The only way to access and drive someone else’s Tesla is if the owner left their smartphone or electronic key in the car. Teslas also require a security pass with a touchpad, which Tesla recommends all owners do.” , writes another.
Randev insists it really happened. He has videos of the incident and has tried several times to contact Tesla and Elon Musk. His email to Tesla came back with the reference that the manufacturer’s inbox was full. Another email to Tesla in China was blocked. A tweet to Elon Musk went unanswered. So he turned to the media.
Also read:
“Totally stupid vehicle” – Why a trucker can not make friends with the Tesla truck
“No hurdle for average criminals”: Hacker copies Tesla key unnoticed – and can use it to start the car
At 17 he cracked the iPhone, then he built a Tesla competitor – now he’s supposed to fix Twitter for Musk
