Tesla is reportedly going to allow iPhone owners to use their device's fingerprint recognition Touch ID sensor as a key. This will mean unlocking and even starting the electric car remotely from the phone.
The Tesla Model S already has an iPhone app which can be used to check things like charge, climate control and car location. According to 9to5mac, which has seen an early beta of the app update, Tesla will include unlocking and engine starting in the imminent version 6.0 update.
Tesla may be waiting for the iOS 8 launch before updating the app. This could add extra layers of security that will make using an app to unlock a £50,000 car a bit more secure. Something we expect a lot of owners will want before they activate this option.
The app should initially only support fingerprint unlocking on the iPhone but it is supposed to roll out to Android devices that support it in "a few weeks". The current Android app for the Tesla Model S is still only in beta.
This could be really useful if you've forgotten your key, or perhaps want to leave the car for someone else to use, without physically handing over the fob.
Expect to hear more on the update over the coming months.
