NO mechanical handle for rear doors. Seriously?

[petitcolas]

You can buy this if you want
For all cars with just 2 doors, it's the same problem or even worse, no ?

 

[N5329K]

You can buy this if you want
For all cars with just 2 doors, it's the same problem or even worse, no ?

Not quite the same. As someone here pointed out, a two-door car with a backseat has front seats designed to fold forward, giving those in back an easier way out. The Model 3 does not (so far as I know) have front folding seats.
Robin

 

[AlanSqB]

You can buy this if you want
For all cars with just 2 doors, it's the same problem or even worse, no ?

That’s a pretty cool tool. Thanks for sharing. I think I’m going to order one to go with my kit.

Prob too complicated for passengers, but great for helping in an emergency.

 

[Beckler]

Except there's already a case in China in which a Model X had that exact scenario happen. The car was involved in a crash (owner claims it was at 47 mph), the Model X electrical system was down and the rear passengers (who had only minor injuries) were not able to exit the vehicle (they did not know about the emergency mechanical release behind the speaker grills).

You have to already know this case would happen. It has to eventually. I'm surprised safety-conscious Tesla would engage in this foolishness. All you could argue is that it costs too much to add a marginal safety increase but that's ridiculous. Having a mechanical release is obviously necessary and arguing against it is rationalization. I'm not going to cancel my Model 3 because it's still a low-probability consideration but it makes 0 sense.

 

[voip-ninja]

You have to already know this case would happen. It has to eventually. I'm surprised safety-conscious Tesla would engage in this foolishness. All you could argue is that it costs too much to add a marginal safety increase but that's ridiculous. Having a mechanical release is obviously necessary and arguing against it is rationalization. I'm not going to cancel my Model 3 because it's still a low-probability consideration but it makes 0 sense.

It's a balancing act, trying to balance cost of the vehicle and therefore profitability with safety. While the odds of these events happening are low, they do happen every single year probably in every single country. The government mandates the inclusion of some safety features, and if they did not then the market would decide if those features are important than customers will choose or pay extra for them.

Many premium sedans for example offer full curtain airbags for rear passengers but as an option that has additional cost. This is because most governments don't mandate this safety feature. LATCH child seat anchors are mandated and so are included on all cars and the cost is passed on to someone whether they have rear passengers or not... I suppose you could argue that since a vehicle usually lasts 15-20 years that there is a high probability that at some point it will be owned by someone who needs to use a child seat but that's not guaranteed.

In Tesla's case they can do what they want while meeting mandatory minimums because currently they don't have any competition in this area.

Things will be very different in 2-4 years when Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus competition have arrived.

 

[Beckler]

It's too basic a feature and so simple it doesn't compare with airbags. Not being able to get out leads to some very unpleasant ways of dying. Cars going into water isn't exactly uncommon.

 

[voip-ninja]

It's too basic a feature and so simple it doesn't compare with airbags. Not being able to get out leads to some very unpleasant ways of dying. Cars going into water isn't exactly uncommon.

Yes, I agree. However it does not appear to be a requirement currently in any market Tesla operates in or the car would have the feature since they sell in numerous markets.

 

[Topher]

But this seems like a basic safety functionality that wouldn't be difficult to include yet is absent.

I am confused about how you would like the doors to function. Do you use 'child safety locks'? Would you want the mechanical door opener to OVERRIDE the child safety locks? Are they of any use at that point? If not, how is the door any different they way Tesla has it?

Thank you kindly.

 

[NeverFollow]

One thing I noticed they changed is that the frunk now requires external 12V power to unlatch from outside (unlike in S/X).
In the same vein it is now relatively easy to attach a battery tender (assuming those cables go to the battery).

I wonder if there is still a manual release inside the frunk,
or do you have to carry with you a 12v battery in case you get trapped inside the frunk?

 

[MP3Mike]

One thing I noticed they changed is that the frunk now requires external 12V power to unlatch from outside (unlike in S/X). In the same vein it is now relatively easy to attach a battery tender (assuming those cables go to the battery).

I wouldn't think they do since they say it only opens the frunk when the 12v battery is dead.

But it seems that the Model 3 frunk is more secure than the frunk in the S/X.

 

[voip-ninja]

I am confused about how you would like the doors to function. Do you use 'child safety locks'? Would you want the mechanical door opener to OVERRIDE the child safety locks? Are they of any use at that point? If not, how is the door any different they way Tesla has it?

Thank you kindly.

Based on your comment I don't think you understand how child safety locks work. When they are engaged the door can be easily opened from the external/outside of the car... OR with an emergency release bar if the car has one... this could be an internal override latch or lever or one that emergency responders can access.

Additionally an emergency override latch could be positioned so that it would not be easy for a very young child to utilize it but an adult or older child easily could. Another option is to hide the release, as they did in the X behind the speaker grill, so you don't have to tell tiny trouble maker children about it but you could tell responsible aged passengers that it is there so they can utilize it in the event of an emergency.

 

[gregincal]

I am confused about how you would like the doors to function. Do you use 'child safety locks'? Would you want the mechanical door opener to OVERRIDE the child safety locks? Are they of any use at that point? If not, how is the door any different they way Tesla has it?

Thank you kindly.

Actually, I've been wondering about that, although I haven't bothered to try it out. I assume the mechanical release in the Model S does override the child safety lock. However, there's no way for a child to reach it without getting out of their car seat. And basically if you have children in the Model S or X there is no mechanical way to open the doors from the outside, you can't really reach the rear door mechanical release from the front seat, and a small child probably isn't going to be able to operate it. So basically you need to reach back and grab the child whether there is a mechanical release or not.

 

[JeffK]

Has anyone actually emailed Tesla to ask? We're all making assumptions based on the first responder guide.

 

[NeverFollow]

I am confused about how you would like the doors to function. Do you use 'child safety locks'? Would you want the mechanical door opener to OVERRIDE the child safety locks? Are they of any use at that point? If not, how is the door any different they way Tesla has it?

In case of an accident, fire, jumping into a river.... any doors should be able to be manually open from inside or out side

 

[Beckler]

Bringing up child door locks is flawed logic. Has nothing to do with mechanical release issue. It's another way you can be stuck in a car - who cares.

 

[gregincal]

Bringing up child door locks is flawed logic. Has nothing to do with mechanical release issue. It's another way you can be stuck in a car - who cares.

Since the only people who ever ride in the back seat of my car are children, that's all I care about.

 

[Topher]

any doors should be able to be manually open from inside

So, not what most cars currently do. How do you train kids not to open the door with the mechanical release, when the whole point of child protective locks, is because it is impossible to train kids not to open the door the regular way while driving?

Thank you kindly.

 

[Topher]

Cars going into water isn't exactly uncommon.

It is my understanding that when the car is near submerged, the doors won't open against the pressure anyway, particularly not with a child pushing it. Breaking the window is the approved method.

Thank you kindly.

 

[Skotty]

Tradeoffs of electric vs mechanical. It would be even safer to have manual window cranks. But do you really want those in your car? Probably not.

I'd prefer mechnical door handles all the way around, but I'm not concerned enough to make a stink out of it. But I can understand if others have concern.

On the plus side, of course, Tesla puts a lot of effort into making their cars crashworthy structurally. Which is probably more important than how the doors open. But it's still not perfect.

 

[AlanSqB]

Not sure exactly why child locks got brought up. I don’t ever use the child locks as all my kids are teens/adults. I think for those that use the child locks, this is a fair point. For the rest of us this is not relevant.