Consumer Reports' Tesla Model S P85D testing begins Consumer Reports' Tesla Model S P85D Breaks Before Testing Begins - Consumer Reports
Article headline sounds bad, but after reading the article it ends on a positive note, and the door handle was quickly fixed onsite.
dsm363 - I am very sorry I simply copy title of CR article, and put it as thread title. I am not sure how to change thread title. edit I thought I did change thread title but only managed to change title of my first post to: Consumer Reports' Tesla Model S P85D testing begins how to change thread title?
Anyone else confused by this portion of the article, 'We were able to move the car a short distance, thanks to the smartphone app that allows us to unlock the car and authorize two minutes of keyless driving, requiring a spry staffer to crawl behind the steering wheel from the passenger seat.'? The app only allows for two minutes of keyless driving? It's been a while since I last drove without a key, but I don't remember it having a limit to how long you could drive it that way. Also, I don't believe they got the center console insert, so the staffer didn't have to be quite as spry as they would've had to be if there was a center console there. There's a benefit of no center console that Tesla probably won't be highlighting anytime soon (in case you can't get the driver's door open, with the lack of a center console, it's much easier to get to the driver's seat than any of our competitors :tongue
Once you've activated keyless driving, you have two minutes to 'start' the car before you have to retype your MyTesla password on the app.
what they wrote about the 2 minutes of driving seems like a 'lie' - and why would you crawl all the way over into the drivers seat vs just reaching to the door handle from the inside? minor, but fishy some
I agree, it does seem fishy. It seems odd a door handle would prevent the car from driving normally. I haven't seen any reports of that before.
This won't happen on a model 3. The handles won't be power retractable, too much cost, complexity and weight. There's a much simpler way of accomplishing aerodynamic efficiency of having flush handles. Keep them flush, similar to how they look today. But to operate, push in swings the chrome flap down (hinged on the lower edge) curling it around 180 degrees into the door, fingers enter the carefully contour-matched cavity (avoid pinching) and grasp the now folded handle around its hinge, and pull the door open Something like this: I'm sure other surface mount handles on other cars come to mind. Some on door edges. Lots of sports cars have something like this, no need to disruptively innovate this part! Now, enough of the uber sedans Tesla.... we get it. What we need is the model 3 out there! I want one. Simplify simplify and get 'er done. Any more design guidance needed, just ask this forum!
Agree that the description of the problems, symptoms and remedy sound weird. In point of fact the Model S does not have electrically retractable door handles - it has electrically extendable door handles. A motor pushes the door handles out from the car, but when they retract they're pulled in by a simple spring (which is why you can't ever injur yourself if you have your hand inside the handle when it retracts).
I believe the Nissan GT-R has these type of door handles. It would definitely make more sense to use these for a mass produced vehicle.
No, the GT-R has pop-out handles that pivot in the middle. You press one edge and the opposite edge pops out, which you then pull on. Grandfather opening Nissan GT-R door handle - YouTube Anyway, scottm's idea is interesting. It seems like it might be something that looks good on paper but feels wrong once implemented. Want to anger one of those owners? Jam a little something in that hole and either watch the handle stick open, or worse get it behind the handle so it can no longer swing inward. It's definitely a lower-cost option that achieves the same goal, I just don't know how practical it is.