Tesla’s next car will unlock seamlessly with UWB, FCC leak suggests

Apple and Samsung have quietly contributed new technology to seamlessly find and unlock your car with your phone, without even taking it out of your pocket – and Tesla may be one of the first to have this technology available. Tesla is actively working on building the UWB in its cars, according to documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission.

On September 9, the company submitted six new “products” for FCC review, including two key fobs, a security controller, and a number of “endpoints” that would be installed inside the chassis. and from the cabin of a vehicle:

According to FCC documents, at least three of these products explicitly support UWB communication.

Additionally, Tesla’s FCC filing is unusual in that it includes a full operational description of the technology, which is usually redacted. The Highlights: This is a standards-based UWB implementation, which means both Apple and Samsung’s UWB phones should theoretically be compatible, and it’s designed to let you know how far away you’re from. the car.

This “range” is useful for avoiding replay attacks that attempt to trick your car into thinking its key fob is closer than it actually is. But it also theoretically unlocks the ability to find your car in a crowded parking lot using your phone, something Samsung is already planning to release an app for later this year.

When I spoke to UWB chip supplier NXP last year, CTO company Lars Reger told me that future cars would probably need more of these UWB endpoints inside the car, can -be at the level of the door handles, to correctly triangulate your location and know if you are inside. or outdoors, for example, your children will not be able to start the engine if you are not actually in the cabin. Apparently, Tesla thinks the B-pillars (located between the front and rear side windows of a car) and a piece of fascia could be good places to put these antennas as well.

None of this means Tesla will necessarily add the technology to its cars, but the FCC documents are generally a pretty good sign that this isn’t just an experiment. FCC filings are usually one of the last waypoints before a product goes to market, as they are only required if you are going to import, sell, or test a radio product on a large scale in the United States.

The last time we checked, BMW was the only other automaker to commit to UWB.