Tesla May Drop Physical Key Cards From New Models

Tesla has quietly deleted mentions of the two key cards from the owner’s manuals for the Model 3 and Model Y, suggesting they may no longer come standard with new vehicles.

The company has long promoted using a smartphone as the primary key — convenient, always nearby, and fully integrated into Tesla’s app ecosystem. Each Model 3 and Model Y previously included two RFID key cards, but those references have now disappeared from the documentation.

Tesla hasn’t issued an official comment (the automaker has operated without a public relations department since 2019), but similar changes in the company’s manuals have previously signaled upcoming configuration updates. That was the case, for example, when Tesla removed the Autosteer feature from the Cybertruck’s manual before later offering it as a temporary subscription.

Dropping the cards fits Tesla’s broader cost-cutting approach. It might seem like a minor change, but at Tesla’s production scale, saving even a few dollars per vehicle adds up to millions. For customers who still want a physical key, replacements will reportedly cost $40 each.

That said, Tesla’s “phone-as-key” system is generally reliable. The only real inconvenience comes in situations where the car needs to be handed off — to a mechanic, valet, or friend.

Most owners will likely just buy a key card if they ever need one — and that’s exactly what Tesla seems to be counting on.