Model X Falcon Doors

[Teslawisher]

From article... Tesla Model X to get 'Falcon' doors - Autoweek


"featuring something called “Falcon” doors--a handy bit of cross-branding with Musk's SpaceX Falcon rockets.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120207/GREEN/120209904#ixzz1ljCcmHmb"

Has anyone checked out any of the Falcon rocket hatches to see if any clue might be there? Would be pretty cool if he hid the design in plain sight.

 

[ckessel]

I think what we will be seeing Thursday will be considered an Alpha stage not a prototype. And quite possibly it will be a Beta stage.

The Model S Alpha/Beta stage preceded shipment by 6-9 months. If they're that far along on the X, why is there a 20+ month gap to production?

 

[Doug_G]

The Model S Alpha/Beta stage preceded shipment by 6-9 months. If they're that far along on the X, why is there a 20+ month gap to production?

Probably so they don't completely burn out their staff! They've been working long hours every day to bring out the Model S; surely that can't be sustainable.

 

[Rifleman]

Has anyone checked out any of the Falcon rocket hatches to see if any clue might be there? Would be pretty cool if he hid the design in plain sight.

The Falcon 9 is the rocket that launches the payload, not the payload itself (and as a result, has no hatches) The SpaceX vehicle that has hatches is the Dragon (it rides on top of the Falcon). While the dragon is very innovative in many ways, its hatches are completely normal, and nothing that could carry over to a car.

 

[Teslawisher]

I hadn't looked myself before posting. After, I thought just if something about the Falcon rocket, any part of it or payload, inspired the door design and that's why he named them such. Guess we'll see Thurs.!

 

[AnOutsider]

Flip side is that not really much changed on the Model S either. Yes some minor cosmetic stuff but generally it is as released at that time. I personally think that the Model X is not really that far behind the Model S in production. I think what we will be seeing Thursday will be considered an Alpha stage not a prototype. And quite possibly it will be a Beta stage.

Doubtful it will be beta status, we only just got betas of the S

 

[zack]

Falcon door on the Falcon is more like a cube fridge than anything else. *shrug* Sometimes a door is just a door.

Can't wait to see the Model X!

 

[taigebu]

Elon just teased us once again but this time it seems that the door is open: https://twitter.com/#!/elonmusk/status/167648387313840128/photo/1/large

 

[AnOutsider]

looks like gullwings to me....

*edit* if you play with the pic in photoshop, Tesla left a message for us (assumedly because we played with the last photo):

 

[dwegmull]

Right after the tease he tweeted that they are not gull wing doors as the arc would be to big on an SUV. Yes he did call it an SUV...

 

[AnOutsider]

Well, he did ay it was a drawing/sketch, could be in id-opening or something. Guess we'll see when things get revealed!

 

[jcstp]

looks like gullwings to me....

*edit* if you play with the pic in photoshop, Tesla left a message for us (assumedly because we played with the last photo):

funny ))))))))))))))))))

 

[zack]

Ha!

Excellent!

 

[ElSupreme]

So how are we supposed to open them in a garage?

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Right after the tease he tweeted that they are not gull wing doors as the arc would be to big on an SUV. Yes he did call it an SUV...

To reduce the arc when opening, each of the doors would have to have two halves - the lower half would have to slide up vertically over the upper half and then the upper half would lift up to end up in a gull-wing like config (like in the tease) but, different in the way the doors open. Someone crossed a falcon with a seagull :smile:

With this, there'd be a horizontal line where the door splits into two halves and two vertical tracks/rails along the door edges for the lower half to slide up over the upper half.

 

[doug]

looks like gullwings to me....

Maybe they'll use the explosive bolts after all.

E.g. Mercedes SLS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Uw7qm1DYI74#t=137s

 

[Mycroft]

I think the doors just pop out and lift up on a curved hinge.

 

[rabar10]

I dunno Mycroft, I think there are two hinge-points involved. The link you posted earlier used the word 'fold'...

Mercury News - January 25, 2012: "Tesla Motors to unveil the Model X on Feb. 9"

Theo O'Neill, a cleantech analyst at Wunderlich Securities, has seen photographs of the Model X but has yet to ride in it. As a parent who struggles to buckle his young son into a car seat, he's excited about the Model X's doors, which pivot from the top of the vehicle.

"The doors of the Model X lift up and fold--like the wing of a bird," said O'Neill. "You can walk right up to the edge of the seat. It's the ideal solution for disabled children, or any parent who has to lean over to buckle a car seat."

 

[Kevin Harney]

looks like gullwings to me....

*edit* if you play with the pic in photoshop, Tesla left a message for us (assumedly because we played with the last photo):

Do you care to share with those of us that do not play with photoshop ?!?!?

 

[Kevin Harney]

I am starting to wonder if maybe the bottom of the door folds in to stay next to the car as it goes up and then it hinges up from the top of the car after that. would that not eliinate space needed on the side of the car for close parkers and the too high above the roof line issue for the SUV part ?