No self presenting door handles

[Zaphod]

As mentioned many times, Aston Martin and Jaguar both use door handles like this and their customers seem to be capable of operating them. Could it be awkward to use them in certain situations? Sure. Can regular door handles be awkward to use also in certain situations? Sure. Can't please everyone all the time. I'm sure they will be more reliable and cheaper to make (or replace) than the auto-presenting handles like the S. That's what matters to me. Besides, I like quirky features on cars.

 

[Lysol]

For example if you are approaching the passenger door, carrying something in your right arm, you won't be able to open it with your left hand alone. These handles force you to use a certain hand in order to have your thumb toward the rear of the car. Another whiz-bang look-at-me tesla feature that actually reduces functionality.

You could always stick out your left middle finger to push in the left side of the handle and grab the lever with your thumb.

 

[ProphetM]

To me that looks like you might need 2 hands to open the door, one to press the handle in and the other to pull the lever. Or you are forced to use a certain hand. For example if you are approaching the passenger door, carrying something in your right arm, you won't be able to open it with your left hand alone. These handles force you to use a certain hand in order to have your thumb toward the rear of the car.

Just turn your hand over. Like magic, your thumb is now on the other side of your hand.

 

[Model 3]

Are you still discussing this?

As I pointed at in my earlier post, this is almost the same as this old door handle that almost all cars had some years ago.

By then you grab the handle, pushed - and keep pushing - the knob and pulled on the handle.
Now we will have to push the knob, grab the handle og pull.
No big difference.

Compared to this design where you had to push the button, and keep it pushed in while pulling to open the door, it seems to me like an improvement.

What makes me skeptical is that it seems so thin and frail at the end that you should be pulling.

 

[SpiceWare]

Another whiz-bang look-at-me tesla feature that actually reduces functionality.

Improved aerodynamics to extend the range seems to be a rather important increase in vehicle functionality to me. Does anybody have any info on how much the flush door handles improve the range? My searching hasn't turned up any hard numbers.

 

[Ken7]

You would think if usability were compromised and the improvement in range was so slight, they'd ditch these handles.

 

[SPMDL3]

I like the design, and the fact that it is simplified in the M3, makes sense for the simplicity and cost. The only concern that I would have in northern climates like mine is if I have to park outside, and it is a ice storm. Getting the handles exposed would be a challenge as you wouldn't want to scrape the ice off, or try to break it off for fear of damaging the car. Wouldn't be a huge issue, it probably would be an issue 4-5 times a winter, but a concern. I keep my vehicle in a slightly heated garage, but unfortunately work and other places don't. Would be interesting if the winter package had some type of low heating that would prevent ice buildup over the handles.

 

[SpiceWare]

Would be interesting if the winter package had some type of low heating that would prevent ice buildup over the handles.

Hope so - even though I'm in Houston I plan to get the winter package because I'm often in your neck of the woods visiting family in Nekoosa. My S2000 covered in snow at my brother's home a few years back:


Last March I drove up with my folks (they live in Lake Jackson, 50 miles south of Houston) for a visit for my nephew's spring break. We were staying at a resort in the Dells when a nice ice storm blew in: Thankfully the driver side of the car was still easy to get into, so we started it up and once the car warmed up the ice slide off the passenger side.


Based on that last bit, it could be that just using remote access to turn on the Tesla's heater will be enough.

 

[Topher]

As something you will grab every day, want something that feels quality and durable.

I have plenty of hand tools that are thinner than this, but quite durable.

They were also using two hands to open the doors so it was not a finished product.

I thought they were doing that to avoid smudging the finish.

Thank you kindly.

 

[S3XY]

I have plenty of hand tools that are thinner than this, but quite durable.



I thought they were doing that to avoid smudging the finish.

Thank you kindly.

That was likely the case on the matte black at least.

 

[boaterva]

To me that looks like you might need 2 hands to open the door, one to press the handle in and the other to pull the lever. Or you are forced to use a certain hand. For example if you are approaching the passenger door, carrying something in your right arm, you won't be able to open it with your left hand alone. These handles force you to use a certain hand in order to have your thumb toward the rear of the car. Another whiz-bang look-at-me tesla feature that actually reduces functionality.

I'm not quite sure what the 'two hands' part means here. Yes, you may have an easier time using the right hand in the passenger door (on a LH drive car) and the left hand on the driver's door, but you would never need two hands.

The video clip we've seen so often and that is quoted above is using two hands (thumb on the 'button') so you can see the 'action'. Normally this would work like any classic push button door. You would use the thumb to push down on the back portion of the handle which causes the front portion to pop out so your fingers on the same hand can grab the handle and pull the door open.

Yes, if one hand is occupied, there may be a slight awkwardness. Same as now if you need to open a door with the 'other' hand. But you do not need to use two hands.

 

[S3XY]

Like others have already said, to use your opposite hand all you need to do is to turn your hand so your palm is facing up, push with your thumb and grab the handle from underneath. You don't have to be a contortionist to do this. My biggest concern is with it freezing. Hopefully Tesla has accounted for this with some strategically placed heating.

 

[ratsbew]

I hope the "push and flip out" style of handles don't make it to production. It looks so awkward to use.

 

[eisbock]

IMO self-presenting door handles are just one more thing that can go wrong, and utterly unnecessary. I do like the way my 2004 Prius does it: Touch the inside of the door handle and it unlocks if it detects the key fob in my pocket. No need to pull out the fob.

Prius had surprisingly advanced tech. The ladyfriend has a 2004 Prius and that thing is bombproof with tech I don't see on a lot of modern cars. Quite amazing, really.

Or extremely sad that the car industry is so stagnant that a cheap 2004 car is outperforming vehicles a decade later technology-wise.

 

[eisbock]

This handle style is very similar to what Aston Martin and Jaguar use except their handle profile is just a straight pull, not "hockey stick" on the 3. In my opinion, the pull part of the handle on the 3 looks a bit thin and weak. I'm sure it really isn't weak as it's probably cast/machined metal of some sort, but looks cheap. As something you will grab every day, want something that feels quality and durable.

I have plenty of hand tools that are thinner than this, but quite durable.

I'm sure the handle will not break, but my concern is with the connection to the door. The door is just aluminum after all, and I could see the handle becoming loose after a while. One hard pull on that thing looks like it'll come clean off!

 

[Twiglett]

wow is this STILL being hashed and rehashed.

 

[S3XY]

wow is this STILL being hashed and rehashed.

About 4 months to go still so what else are we supposed to do?

 

[dsvick]

wow is this STILL being hashed and rehashed.

And this is just discussing what was displayed at the initial reveal. There will be several months worth of discussion again when we see the actual final version.

 

[jsmay311]

Would be interesting if the winter package had some type of low heating that would prevent ice buildup over the handles.

While technically doable, this seems unlikely to me.

First, it would kinda go against the simple+inexpensive approach the Tesla is going for in the Model 3.

Second, other existing cars that have similar handles don't have heaters (at least as far as I can tell based on searches of Nissan, Fiat, and Aston Martin forums).

Third... just thinking out loud here, I'm wondering how this would even be done in practice.
Would you have heaters on all 4 door handles? Or just the driver's door?
Would they would turn on any time it dropped below freezing? Or would you use the AP cameras to only turn them on during/after precipitation?
Would they be a simple on/off operations, or would they generate more heat when it's colder?

If it could be done cheaply and reliably and with negligible energy consumption on just the driver's door handle, I'd be all for it. But I wouldn't put any bets on it happening.

 

[arnis]

Back in years when remote control was not popular on BMW, cold package option included door mechanical lock heater.
To activate it user had to pull the handle of locked door for short period of time. That heated the lock core and flawless operation
was guaranteed. When remote control came as standard that feature was dropped as absolutely nobody used mechanical lock, 1997.

Handle heating is not necessary. I've had some ice buildup issues everywhere on BMW. All it takes is just few hits with a fist.
Metal is flexible and ice is not. Flakes off immediately. Also door metal is cold and snow/ice almost never re-freeze there.
The real problem is the window. Model S lowers the window slightly due to frameless design to open the door.
Frameless doors DO get stuck very often. Luckily preheating solves those nasty situations on EVs

Model 3 doors are designed to be opened like people usually open any door: if the hinge is on the left (driver side doors) then people use left hand. If hinges are on the right, right hand is used.
Thumb always points to the rear of the vehicle if grabbed from above. People who have less than 2 hands can actually grab the handle from below. It's totally legal

I suspect Model 3 will lock the doors the same way as Model S/X - just walk away and it locks.
The handles can, most likely, be pushed out even if car is locked but they will not actuate opening mechanism. And I expect Model 3 will have mechanical connection between lock and interior/exterior handle.
I'm extremely interested in material choice for the handle itself. Crome plated metal is definitely no go. Wet hand will freeze in freezing weather. Cheap plastic will be torn off due to the fact that it is a lever not a U-shaped piece like on Model S.