door handles in cold climates

[mattobadia]

do you think living in Montreal and not having a garage to park in will be a problem for opening up the doors in winter?

 

[Jonny Custom]

If it looks like this then I think you may.

 

[tescroft]

As they seem to allow mechanic pulling of the frozen door, they are probably better than the door handles of the X.

 

[kzod]

If it looks like this then I think you may.

View attachment 239672

Unfortunately, that happens more often than you would think in Montreal. Makes you wonder why they call it La Belle Province. I guess it's either that or cry. But they make up for it with some of the best food in the world, and I don't mean poutine.

 

[Runt8]

My only concern would be how sturdy they are. If the door seals are frozen then you may have to wrench pretty hard on them. They are definitely a lot thinner than my current handles, but that doesn't mean they aren't just as strong.

 

[jsmay311]

Just leave one of the rear seats folded down and enter through the trunk.

Seriously tho... I would expect the handles to be sufficiently strong to pull on. I'd be more worried about the frameless windows.

And chipping away any ice that is covering the handles may be annoying.

 

[mattobadia]

chipping away at the ice on the door is my main concern.

 

[Thomas Edison]

Just leave one of the rear seats folded down and enter through the trunk.

I actually had to do that once when my car was iced over.

 

[kort677]

cold is one think, the handles on my S can become intolerably hot when the car is parked in the sun

 

[mongo]

If it looks like this then I think you may.

View attachment 239672

This looks like a job for......



_________PREHEAT_________

 

[gregincal]

My understanding is that one of the major advantages of a Tesla in such conditions is that if you preheat the car it will loosen the ice. Otherwise the 3 doesn't seem that much different than a normal car and definitely superior to either the S or the X in this regard.

 

[K-MTG]

I am in SoCal so I have no idea....but you can probably preheat with the mobile app and eat a lot of range in the process

 

[gregincal]

I am in SoCal so I have no idea....but you can probably preheat with the mobile app and eat a lot of range in the process

That range is going to get eaten up anyway, unless you're planning to drive in a freezer.

 

[S'toon]

Screw the door handles. I want to know if the windshield will stay clear of frost when it's -35 degrees. That vent looks like it's designed to keep the passengers cool in California, not the windows clear of frost in the depths of a Canadian winter.

 

[Zaphod]

Screw the door handles. I want to know if the windshield will stay clear of frost when it's -35 degrees. That vent looks like it's designed to keep the passengers cool in California, not the windows clear of frost in the depths of a Canadian winter.

There is still a defroster vent at the base of the windshield just like the S and X. That vent has nothing to do with defrosting the windshield.

 

[mattobadia]

i'd love to see a video of a Model 3 defrosting once they start deliveries in the north east. I have to wait until late 2018 so i have some time ahead of me...

 

[kzod]

I'm hoping keeping the cabin warm might save the car if we ever get a bad ice storm in Toronto.

 

[Unchangeable]

Speaking of remote heating.. do you set a temp?

 

[gregincal]

Speaking of remote heating.. do you set a temp?

Yes, the app allows you to set a temperature. It shows the current internal temperature of the car as well.

 

[Veritas1980]

_________PREHEAT_________

This! Living in Scandinavia all my life, clearing ice from cars (along with the constant darkness) has always been some of my least favorite things.

Using preheat really is a Godsend for us living in this kind of climates.

Yes, it is going to eat some range, but unless you can barely make it home, it is well worth it. No scraping windows, no stuck doors, the envious looks from coworkers as you jump into your car and drive away!

I don’t think the door handles will be an issue, but as previously mentioned, the windows can be a bit stuck if you don’t preheat. At least in the Model S.