The ability to use a vehicle via a mobile app is an important feature of smart cars, but it can also cause a lot of inconvenience if the app's network connection is lost.

The Securities Times reported Monday that several Tesla owners said the app for several models, including the Model X and Model 3, was unable to connect to the network, making their usual operations of turning on the air conditioner and opening doors on their phones unavailable.

The report quoted Tesla salespeople as saying that many owners had reported the problem and that "there may be a problem with the system today."

But Sina Tech later cited Tesla's response that it was due to owners not having their real names authenticated on the SIM cards installed in their vehicles, causing their service to be suspended.

Tesla said it had previously informed owners that from April 1, 2021, mobile network operator China Unicom would do a restriction on the Internet access function of in-vehicle SIM cards for customers who had not completed real-name authentication.

Tesla has reminded owners several times through public channels and text messages, and is continuing to do so and communicate, the company said.

In China, individuals must have their real names authenticated before being allowed to purchase SIM cards.

Smart cars, on the other hand, carry SIM cards that allow users to authenticate their real names after purchase, and if they fail to do so in a timely manner, they can experience a loss of network connectivity.

(Source: CnEVPost)