But what would be the point? Every design is about compromises and balances. We want the biggest space, the largest opening, the lightest material, the strongest structure, the stiffest chassis, the cheapest building cost, the longest range, the highest capacity batteries, the fastest charge time, the quickest acceleration, the safest cabin.... I am sure Tesla engineers would want that too. But they have to make choices, and I am sure they did not arrive at the decision easily or without careful considerations of various design options.
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How does the trunk work on the Model 3
- Thread starter AkalStation
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But what would be the point? Every design is about compromises and balances. We want the biggest space, the largest opening, the lightest material, the strongest structure, the stiffest chassis, the cheapest building cost, the longest range, the highest capacity batteries, the fastest charge time, the quickest acceleration, the safest cabin.... I am sure Tesla engineers would want that too. But they have to make choices, and I am sure they did not arrive at the decision easily or without careful considerations of various design options.
SebastianR
Active Member
I get the idea of a Sedan. And having lived in the US,I believe that the Model 3 is THE perfect sedan for the US market. However, from a European perspective, we have a huge issue: The Model S is simply too wide (for instance it won't fit my drive way / gate - my current Audi A4 has about an inch in total left and right together to get through). Now we Europeans do love hatchbacks. The Model S is already "cheating" by having the lift gate but not being a real hatchback. I think that compromise has worked somehow and I - like many - had the expectation that the Model 3 would pull a similar trick which would have made this car the perfect car for Europeans: Small enough to fit tiny parking spots and narrow streets but practical enough to haul a stroller, dogs etc.
I guess I'm just confused who this car is supposed to be for: most families have their kids / dogs / cargo in the back of the car and I have never heard anybody select an A4/ 3 Series / C-Class select for headroom in the back. I'm also not ever expecting anybody to use that kind of car as a chauffeur car - so why the focus on being able to seat 5 adults while ignoring the more common use case of transporting a stroller?
I guess I'm just confused who this car is supposed to be for: most families have their kids / dogs / cargo in the back of the car and I have never heard anybody select an A4/ 3 Series / C-Class select for headroom in the back. I'm also not ever expecting anybody to use that kind of car as a chauffeur car - so why the focus on being able to seat 5 adults while ignoring the more common use case of transporting a stroller?
Trev Page
Member
The only problem with those types of hinges is that when the lid goes down the arms interfere a lot with the interior space.I wrote earlier, based on the first movie, that trunk's hatch was in a way and was not lifting high enough. In this pic however it looks like you can approach the trunk with ease therefore I withdraw my objection
In fact, thanks to design of the hinges, trunk opens wide and hinge mechanism does not interfere/crush items when closed which is the case with many cars:
Hinges such as the Mazda 3 don't interfere with the interior.
igotzzoom
Active Member
Yes. However, the tradeoff is generally a slightly smaller opening aperture. There's kind of a universal truism in the auto industry. Frankly, I think I could be applied to nearly anything..."Good, cheap, fast...choose two."
For families with babies and stroller, they prefer you to consider Model X - their 2nd row seats were designed with car seats installed in mind
Trev Page
Member
What makes you think that this design does not let you carry a sheet of plywood? I'm pretty sure that rear seats fold down otherwise surfboard would not fit
Elon said a 7 foot surfboard, sure. But in 'murica a sheet of plywood is 4 feet by 8 feet. I've had Honda, Mazda and BMW sedans before and none of those could fit a sheet of plywood. Unless of course they were cut down into smaller bits first
igotzzoom
Active Member
Elon said a 7 foot surfboard, sure. But in 'murica a sheet of plywood is 4 feet by 8 feet. I've had Honda, Mazda and BMW sedans before and none of those could fit a sheet of plywood. Unless of course they were cut down into smaller bits first
Reminds me of the Mercedes Metris Ads:
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SebastianR
Active Member
If I was still living in the US - of course! But from a European perspective the Model X is a MONSTER that simply won't fit. Yes, technically you can drive it here. But as I wrote, it wouldn't fit through my driveway. I would literally need to tear down my neighbors house to make it fit. That's obviously not the fault of the Model X. I'm just telling it to explain that - IMHO - the Model 3 was not designed with a global perspective but a very North American perspective on cars.
I'm fully aware of the fact that most people who hear A4 or 3-Series or C-Class in North America are automatically thinking of the sedan. If Europeans are thinking of the same car they think of the hatchback version. So when Elon said "Model 3 is the size of an A4" I was thinking "great, I drive an Audi A4 Avant - the Model 3 will be a perfect car for me. I know it will not be a full hatchback, but if it has a similar functionality to a Model S in the size of my Audi, all is good".
Edit: I guess what I'm trying to say is: the US perspective is similar to the Audi A4 sedan, the European perspective is an Audi A4 Avant (hatchback) - what could work in both is the Audi A5 (which is what the Model S looks closest to - and the Model S is allegedly a sedan). From my perspective it is a pity the Model 3 looks like an A5 but only has the utility of a A4 sedan...
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Unfortunately, Tesla is still a relatively small company. Ideally, they should release a Model 3 sedan, wagon and GT version within 1 year like BMW. But that is not possible. You probably have to wait for the Model Y - the success of Model 3 should make it happen sooner rather than later.
There are some very good tints and coatings that will help, but yes, there is serious potential for greenhouse effect--the irony!
anticitizen13.7
Not posting at TMC after 9/17/2018
Tesla hasn't forgotten the European market. If the Model 3 sedan doesn't work for you, there will be a crossover variant announced at some point. This was confirmed by Tesla's Chief Technology Officer, J.B. Straubel:
Tesla CTO: Model 3 To Be Offered As Sedan And Crossover
Yes, utility. You can haul people while simultaneously hauling their items. If you want to haul people while hauling their sofas, a 15-seater van is a much better choice. For everyone who doesn't want a 15 seater van, there are compromises that must go in depending on how much smaller the vehicle is compared to a van, what format it is in, what sells well in the United States versus what is a niche format, and aesthetics. Turns out hatchbacks just aren't that popular in the US, and it also turns out they're developing a second vehicle--the Model Y--just for people with your similar preferences.
They need Model 3 funds and revenue to expand to more-niche formats like hatchbacks, liftbacks, etc. Model S and X being liftbacks were only possibly because they're incredibly huge vehicles, and huge vehicles can have liftbacks without significant trade-offs.
Having a 200 mile EV was well-within the realm of what's economically and feasibly possible on the horizon; making adult males in the United States all shrink a few inches in size so that a comfortable, compact liftback sedan with a frunk can exist is not physically possible.
The Model Y is for you, the Model 3 is for the largest and most popular format in that mid-size luxury sedan category. I don't think you'd be happy if someone took the Model Y CUV and wanted to turn it into a notchback.
Misterbee
Member
MrBoylan
Member
This is a good point. How many times has Tesla/Musk said they are targeting the BMW 3 series entry level luxury sedan with the Model 3? This absolutely holds its own against the 3 series sedan, as promised. But it has a 100% electric drive train, so it's better. I prefer hatchbacks (or liftbacks like the Model S) but these are not just not that common in sedans, particularly not in the U.S. market. Tesla said that the Model 3 would be a compact luxury sedan, targeted at the BMW 3 series sedan market. To me, it looks like they are making good on their promise.
The BMW 3 series has a number of different body styles. The Model 3 platform may have even more. But they had to start somewhere, and they started with a compact entry-level sedan, which happens to have a trunk. If you don't like their design choices, you can either cancel your deposit/reservation or hold onto it for now and hope that they also offer a compact CUV/SUV or hatchback/liftback as future body styles. But trunk vs. liftback seems to be a decision they've already made for Model 3.
They've shown us a compact luxury EV sedan for $35K with over 200 miles of range and a trunk. And after that was revealed, at least 130,000 *additional* reservations were made in about 2 days (total of more than 252,000 reservations as of 7 AM this morning). If Tesla were to change to a liftback design, how many of those post-reveal reservation holders would cry foul? Hey, I wanted a trunk!
I'm just wondering how a roof rack would work on a roof with this much glass. I guess you could go with one of those suction cup-based roof racks, but those worry me. Again, not a show-stopped for me, but curious about roof racks. Do people do roof racks on the Model S with panoramic roof?
The panoramic roof is required to use a standard roof rack. Without it, you don't have the mounting points.
(It is of course possible to drill holes and fit mounting points on the aluminium roof, or use suction cups.)
doublejj
Member
I hope all you guy's dis-satisfied with the trunk will quickly cancel your orders because I'm not buying a Model 3 for the trunk. I want a sedan & the model 3 trunk is no different than my Corolla trunk & that has been fine for 10+ years for me. Besides my other vehicle is a V10 Ford F250 Super Duty Long Bed. I just want a cool fast sedan & this Tesla is it.
I want a sedan & the model 3 trunk is no different than my Corolla trunk & that has been fine for 10+ years for me. Besides my other vehicle is a V10 Ford F250 Super Duty Long Bed. I just want a cool fast sedan & this Tesla is it.I don't think anyone would buy the Model 3 for the trunk, seeing as how impractical it is. That's how it works, people buy cars based on what they offer.
It's not just Europeans. I live in the U.S. and never have and never will buy a sedan with a trunk. Once you go hatchback you never go back. I don't even understand why that body style is even made anymore.
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