Do people understand the door handles?

[cypho]

Honestly, I think that makes it even worse. Not that this is some major complaint, but it sounds like the door handles on the 3/Y are even less intuitive than the ones on the X.

I do agree with that. But the 3/Y doors, without any motorized parts, are much less expensive probably more durable.

Maybe this isn't your intention, but this feels a lot like what we call "blaming the user" in software. If one person doesn't get it, maybe they're dumb, but if everyone doesn't get it, it usually means it wasn't actually designed well. Breaking the patterns people are used to is fine, but if they don't see any familiar hints as to how to open a door, they'll understandably get stuck. Your ability to get into a car shouldn't depend on your willingness to "explore" - a car's door handle shouldn't be a game or a puzzle box.

What I am saying is that some people will be extremely confused by ANY change, no matter how well done. There very well may be ways Tesla could improve their design(like the recent change to label the button), but that is never going to stop a lot of people from having a hard time.

Sure you could avoid the problem by never making changes, but sometimes the benefits from changing something outweigh the confusion it is going to cause.

IMO, the fact that my 2 year old was able to look at the door and immediately figure out how to open it says that while the design may not be perfect, it is not excessively difficult to figure out. It is just different than what many people are expecting.

 

[Noodles]

Oh I have stickers like that too, got them before we even got the car I think. Never helped anyone!

Lucky you!!!

I have the stickers AND STILL i have to explain it.

 

[smatthew]

The person could pull your emergency release handle on the inside of the door and damage your window, or the trim surrounding it. (thats one thing that can happen).

On the outside, there is nothing really, its just confusing to people cause there is no handle sticking out to grab. "curiosity" and "exploring" should be reserved for your own belongings, not someone elses (thats the way most people would think).

I wouldnt want someone poking around on my settings in my car (for example) without permission. Nor would I want them messing with my AV equipment. Same principle. Most adults would look at it, and say to themselves "not sure what to do here" and not start exploring, where a child doesnt have that filter. A child would easily do both of those without considering anything.

Thats how children are, which is fine, but expecting adults to just start poking around someone elses belongings if they are not sure how something they dont own (and is very expensive) operates seems to be strange to me.

You do know that when you pull the emergency release the car drops the window? You would have to be already pushing the door out when you pulled the emergency release in order to mess up the trim.

 

[jjrandorin]

You do know that when you pull the emergency release the car drops the window? You would have to be already pushing the door out when you pulled the emergency release in order to mess up the trim.

No I didnt know that.. last I knew the manual I had that came with the car said to not use that handle except for emergencies because damage could occur. Its only been pulled once in my car (by mistake, by a passenger, because it looks like what you are supposed to pull to get out) and it made a fairly loud popping noise. This was early on in my ownership, and since I wasnt over there (and both the passenger and I were startled, for difference reasons), I didnt see / notice it did that.

After that, I made a point to tell everyone who was riding in my car the first time that the "exit is the button, dont pull the handle". Maybe it was always like you say, or maybe it changed at some point, I have no idea.

 

[camalaio]

No I didnt know that.. last I knew the manual I had that came with the car said to not use that handle except for emergencies because damage could occur. Its only been pulled once in my car (by mistake, by a passenger, because it looks like what you are supposed to pull to get out) and it made a fairly loud popping noise. This was early on in my ownership, and since I wasnt over there (and both the passenger and I were startled, for difference reasons), I didnt see / notice it did that.

After that, I made a point to tell everyone who was riding in my car the first time that the "exit is the button, dont pull the handle". Maybe it was always like you say, or maybe it changed at some point, I have no idea.

To be utterly fair, it was via an update within the last year that the windows now roll down with the emergency release. Manual probably still says the same thing and the car still screams at you for doing it (some specific persons I can't just get to push the button since they discovered the lever works just as well).

 

[jjrandorin]

To be utterly fair, it was via an update within the last year that the windows now roll down with the emergency release. Manual probably still says the same thing and the car still screams at you for doing it (some specific persons I can't just get to push the button since they discovered the lever works just as well).

I looked at an updated manual and it now just says its an emergency release, but does not have any warning about danger to trim or window. The manual I had for the car in 2018 did, though. Its great that they continue to improve stuff like this, but yeah, I didnt know they changed that behavior of the emergency release at some point.