Connect with us

News

Tesla adds Model S, X and Model 3 key bands to its online shop

(Photo: Tesla)

Published

on

Tesla recently updated its lineup of accessories for the Model S,3, and X, with the electric car maker releasing official bands for the vehicles’ key fobs. Each band, which is designed to fit the electric cars’ key fobs perfectly, is available on Tesla’s official website for a very reasonable $18 each.

Tesla describes its key bands as follows.

“Custom made and available for every model, the Tesla Key Band provides a sleek and convenient key solution to your current key fob. Comprised of a silicone band attached to a metal key ring and finished with a tastefully embossed logo, the key band is a perfect fit for any model.”

Here are pictures of a key band sample as provided by Tesla on the products’ official page.

A key band sample for the Tesla Model 3. (Photo: Tesla)

Advertisement

Just like Tesla’s other accessories, the newly-released key bands are packaged in a tasteful, black and red box embossed with a Tesla logo. The key ring that comes with the band is also blacked out, giving the accessory a unified, premium look. Considering that Tesla’s accessories such as the Model 3 key fob have a tendency to be sold out quickly after they are offered, interested owners would best be advised to purchase their key bands as soon as they are able.

In a way, Tesla’s release of its new bands comes just at the right time, considering that all its vehicles currently use key fobs. Prior to last November, key fobs were only given to Model S and X owners. Model 3 owners, on the other hand, were offered two ways to access their electric car — through the Tesla mobile app or through a key card that came with the vehicle.

As the Model 3 started hitting higher production numbers, a number of Model 3 owners requested for a more traditional key fob, just like those used by the company for the Model S and X. The Model 3 key fob was initially teased by Consumer Reports in its Talking Cars YouTube segment, when the magazine’s Auto Director, Jake Fisher, shared a conversation he had with Elon Musk about upcoming improvements for the Model 3.

During that time, Fisher was speaking with Musk about the Model 3’s braking distance following the magazine’s test of the electric sedan. Fisher noted that he talked about the Model 3’s keycard to the CEO, who admitted that the keycard/mobile app combination needs improvement.

“He (Musk) admitted that yeah, this isn’t working too well, and we really should do something better. Again, I don’t know if they’re gonna do it or not, but he said we really need to provide a normal key to the customers of this car,” Fisher said.

Advertisement

Tesla eventually released a key fob for the Model 3 on November 2018. At $150, the Model 3 key fobs were immediately sold out, despite Tesla noting that the accessory does not support passive entry, which is the ability to unlock the vehicle by merely walking up to it. With Tesla’s new bands, even Model 3 owners can carry their key fobs in what could very well be the most convenient way possible. 

Tesla’s bands could be accessed in the following pages for the Model S, Model X, and Model 3. 

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla starts Full Self-Driving rollout to owners in Australia

“To have this car drive me around Brisbane for an hour, we’re talking in the city, motorway, spaghetti bowl of on-ramps, it handled it so well. It was mind-blowing.”

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has already started rolling out its Full Self-Driving suite to owners in Australia after officially launching the driver assistance suite in the country yesterday.

Earlier this week, Tesla seemed to be moving toward the launch of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Australia after numerous media members received early access to test its performance.

Tesla officially launched Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Australia yesterday. The company told media members who got early access to the suite that the rollout would begin with Hardware 4-equipped Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

Tesla launches Full Self-Driving in a new region

The release would be slow and gradual, with the process performed in stages.

Advertisement

The first stage of the rollout has already begun in Australia:

Tesla is reminding drivers in Australia who are using the suite for the first time that they must not become complacent while FSD is in operation. It is not fully autonomous and still requires the driver to remain attentive to road conditions and the vehicle’s surroundings.

Advertisement

Currently, the suite is only available to purchase outright, and it comes at a cost of $10,100. A subscription model is in the works, similar to the one in the United States, but Tesla has not yet announced its plans or pricing model for this.

Australia is the sixth country to receive Full Self-Driving (Supervised), or at least some version of it, as the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, and Puerto Rico all have access to the suite currently. In China, it is slightly different and is referred to as “City Autopilot” due to regulatory boundaries.

Early reviews of the suite have been very strong, as local media have also had the opportunity to try it, with one journalist saying, To have this car drive me around Brisbane for an hour, we’re talking in the city, motorway, spaghetti bowl of on-ramps, it handled it so well. It was mind-blowing.”

Continue Reading

News

Tesla expands crazy new lease deal for insane savings on used inventory

Tesla was able to work through the hurdles in three states, expanding the deal to New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has expanded its new lease deal, offering people insane savings on used inventory.

Last week, we reported on Tesla offering crazy good lease deals on some of its used inventory, as people were able to grab monthly payments for as little as $225 per month with no money down.

There was only one catch: the deal was only available in California and Texas.

Tesla offers new deal on used inventory that you won’t want to pass up

However, Tesla has been working hard to get the lease deal expanded, and it finally has. Last night, Tesla’s VP of Finance, Sendil Palani, confirmed the deal had made it to three additional states.

Advertisement

Palani explained that the deal was only available in California and Texas because the leasing process requires working through regulatory hurdles in each state. He said it “involves a nontrivial amount of work,” which makes things more difficult to iron out.

Tesla was able to work through the hurdles in three states, expanding the deal to New York, New Jersey, and Florida. It is currently active in those states, Palani said:

Advertisement

Tesla is really making a concerted effort to push its inventory out the door, and many areas already are running low on both new and pre-owned inventory. It has cut prices on some new inventory, while offering these new lease deals on used vehicles that remain.

It is beneficial to the consumer for obvious reasons: cheaper payments and the ability to get a great deal on a car for no money down. Tesla is also getting rid of vehicles that were once thought to be intended for the Robotaxi fleet, but it appears these older hardware vehicles are no longer in the company’s plans for that purpose.

This is the first time Tesla has offered lease deals on used inventory, as it has only offered an outright purchase option in the past. In an effort to boost deliveries and rid itself of older cars, these lease deals are truly beneficial for both parties. It is only a wonder how long they will last.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk shares unbelievable Starship Flight 10 landing feat

Flight 10’s Starship upper stage demonstrated impressive accuracy when it came to its target landing zone.

Published

on

Credit: SpaceX/X

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently shared an insane feat accomplished by Starship’s upper stage during its tenth test flight.

Despite the challenges it faced during its return trip to Earth, Flight 10’s Starship upper stage demonstrated impressive accuracy when it came to its target landing zone.

Against the odds

Musk’s update was shared on social media platform X. In a conversation about Starship upper stage’s return to Earth, Musk revealed that the upper stage splashed down just 3 meters (under 10 feet) from its intended target. Considering the size of the Starship upper stage and the ocean itself, achieving this accuracy was nothing short of insane.

Starship Flight 10 was a success as both the Super Heavy booster and Ship upper stage completed all their mission objectives. However, videos and images released by SpaceX showed the upper stage’s heat shield scorched golden-brown and parts of its aft skirt visibly missing. The flaps and other surfaces also bore signs of heavy stress from reentry.

SpaceX highlighted this in a post on X: “Starship made it through reentry with intentionally missing tiles, completed maneuvers to intentionally stress its flaps, had visible damage to its aft skirt and flaps, and still executed a flip and landing burn that placed it approximately 3 meters from its targeted splashdown point,” SpaceX noted.

Advertisement

A key milestone

The result stands in stark contrast to Starship’s earlier test flights this year, when all three prior upper-stage flights in 2025 ended in premature breakup before splashdown. Flight 10 not only marked the first successful splashdown of the year for the Starship upper stage, but it also delivered near-perfect precision despite its battered state, according to a Space.com report.

For SpaceX, this success is a critical proof point in developing a fully reusable launch system. A spacecraft capable of surviving severe reentry conditions and still landing within meters of its target underscores the robustness needed for future missions, including orbital payload deliveries and, eventually, landings on the Moon and Mars.

Continue Reading

Trending