It would be great if they re-designed the handles on the Model-X to have a mechanical back-up. For example, if you depress the left-side of the latch, it releases a mechanical hook and pops-up so that you can open the doors. That way, even if there is no power to the doors, you still have a back-up way of opening them.
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I guess the real question is - for both door handles and falcon wings - how much of the reasoning is the "cool" factor for Tesla's decision-making, and how much the practical reasoning. It is easy to agree reasons for both exist.
As said, sliding doors would achieve the same ingress/egress, with faster operation, less room needed on the side, without compromising roof and low-ceiling practicality. I'm with those who say "cool" does play a factor for Tesla in these features.
How big or small, that is a bit harder to judge. Personally I'm all for the falcon wings because they are cool, I want them because they are cool, and I'm sure they will be impractical as heck for my own uses.
felixtb
RsEU502,Sp+14274,XpEUSig4
Personally I'm all for the falcon wings because they are cool, I want them because they are cool, and I'm sure they will be impractical as heck for my own uses.
I agree with this and with the door handles it is also a big cool factor that comes in considering that there are many flush door handles out there that do not require electrical power to operate. A very sexy example are the Aston Martin handles...... Which are also slightly impractical since they tend to slightly pinch your hand in a rushed moment....
Krugerrand
Meow
Not according to Elon. And since you've not seen them in action nor tried to load a child, senior or otherwise into the third row of a standard SUV AND THEN had an opportunity to do the same with a Model X, you're just making stuff up. Once the vehicle is out and people have had an opportunity to USE the vehicle and its doors, then we can talk about practicality vs cool.
Of course theory becomes practice only through the latter. I agree that what we offer today is speculative.
That said, Elon is partial. He is marketing, as he should be, and even if he isn't marketing, he is invested and thus biased. We can't take his word in public as gospel either. So, all of us are speculating at this point - both about the practicality of falcon wings (unknown) as well as Tesla's full motives on implementing them (unknown).
I agree Elon and Tesla tells us falcon wings are there for a practical purpose. No doubt that is part of the reason. I guess what I'm saying is, I don't believe that to be the whole truth. How little or much it differs from the whole truth, I don't know, but I'm betting the difference (and coolness) of it all played a hand.
In any case, it doesn't take much speculation to come to the conclusion that falcon wings also will have tons of impractical sides to them. No matter, I want them badly. 'cause they're cool.
with the winged doors you can stand up getting out of the car and not get wet in pouring down rain.
you might even be able to stand up in the car with the doors open if you weren't too tall
you might even be able to stand up in the car with the doors open if you weren't too tall
Krugerrand
Meow
We don't agree. I clearly said 'making stuff up'. Speculate has an entirely different meaning.
mknox
Well-Known Member
Agree. Looking forward to reviews in the winter with snow on the roof. Seems like it could be problematic, but am more than willing to extend the benefit of the doubt.
Fair enough on not agreeing, that is your prerogative of course.
I disagree I am making up stuff though. Low-ceiling parking, side opening width required in low-ceiling parking as well as roof carrying issues are not making stuff up, it is a valid avenue of practical concerns for all wing doors - for which I expect Tesla to offer some workarounds of course, hence the exact nature of those concerns is speculative.
As I said, I expect to love falcon wings. That doesn't mean genuine practical concerns aren't being offset by coolness. They are for me and I wager to an extent for Tesla too.
Ubbe
Member
I don't expect it to be a problem in the real world, as you surely clear the roof from snow on any car anyway; Falcon Wing doors or not. You wouldn't want to dump all that snow on the cars behind you on the highway, right?
Apart from that, a big heap of snow on the roof would impact range negatively so there's one more reason to keep the car tidy. No idea how much, but I'm guessing that it would be more than you gain from replacing the side mirrors with cameras would save?
mknox
Well-Known Member
I assume you're kidding... but maybe not. :wink: Around here, no one cleans their roofs, hoods, trunks and half the idiots don't even clean their windows (especially side and rear). It's especially true of taller vehicles like SUVs where it may be more difficult to actually reach the roof with your snow brush. Maybe the trick will be to pre-heat the crap out of it and melt it all off.
hockeythug
Active Member
Same here. Personally, it depends how lazy I get deep into the winter. I think it would be less of a problem if I parked in a garage overnight when it usually snows. I currently park on the street.
Not to mention ice build-up on the roof. During winter I usually do clean the roof of snow but a sheet of icy stuff often remains, cleaning it off would scratch the car. Maybe the falcon wings will be strong enough to break through, but as ice is an issue with any door, certainly it can be with falcon wings in new and exciting ways.
If the trunk is any measure (and I've had tons of electric trunk doors, Model S included), I don't expect opening to be as much of an issue as closing. If any ice remains, automated trunks often bounce back and refuse to close. We shall see how the falcon wings behave.
If the trunk is any measure (and I've had tons of electric trunk doors, Model S included), I don't expect opening to be as much of an issue as closing. If any ice remains, automated trunks often bounce back and refuse to close. We shall see how the falcon wings behave.
MrBoylan
Member
Unless there are heating elements built in the falcon wing doors that you can activate remotely via the app (as part of the cold weather package). Heat up the falcon wing doors 15 minutes before you go outside and the snow will be melted (or at least significantly loosened) by the time you need to get into the car. Yes, this would use some of the car's precious stored electricity (unless it's plugged into a charger), but it should be fairly minor power usage.
-CB
In my neck of the woods, we carry a snow brush and actually use our arms and the snow brush to manually remove snow from the roof of a vehicle before driving. I don't see why it would be any different with an X.
Krugerrand
Meow
Snow brush, hockey stick, purse, arm....whatever is available. That's what responsible people do so the guy following you isn't put at risk.
Loose snow isn't the issue though. Removing that is responsible and also fairly trivial.
The bigger problem I expect is ice-buildup. A horizontal plane such as the roof will gather ice, especially when temperatures hover around freezing and/or when car is heated and the heat melts snow on top which then freezes between the car and the upper snow on the roof.
Thus when the roof is cleared from snow with a brush or hand or anything, an icy sheet of ice, frozen(ish) snow remnants etc. often cover the remaining roof. This is enough to stop an electric trunk from opening or at least closing, but is even more impactful when trying to operate roof elements (which unlike trunk are fully horizontal).
If any of the ice or snow remains over the door, the sensors may refuse to open, but I fear actually more the closing part - electric trunks at least are designed to stop fairly easily if they feel any resistance, which in the winter is quite often e.g. on the Model S when parking outside and operating trunk after cleaning snow. Sometimes I just don't use the trunk to get going faster.
The bigger problem I expect is ice-buildup. A horizontal plane such as the roof will gather ice, especially when temperatures hover around freezing and/or when car is heated and the heat melts snow on top which then freezes between the car and the upper snow on the roof.
Thus when the roof is cleared from snow with a brush or hand or anything, an icy sheet of ice, frozen(ish) snow remnants etc. often cover the remaining roof. This is enough to stop an electric trunk from opening or at least closing, but is even more impactful when trying to operate roof elements (which unlike trunk are fully horizontal).
If any of the ice or snow remains over the door, the sensors may refuse to open, but I fear actually more the closing part - electric trunks at least are designed to stop fairly easily if they feel any resistance, which in the winter is quite often e.g. on the Model S when parking outside and operating trunk after cleaning snow. Sometimes I just don't use the trunk to get going faster.
