You can install our site as a web app on your iOS device by utilizing the Add to Home Screen feature in Safari. Please see this thread for more details on this.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
@James Anders: even if the door handles are a superfluous feature in your eyes, they have given the Model S extra flair that helps it garner additional attention. Note how many video reviews show the door handles retracting -- I can't think of any videos that introduce or review the model S that don't show them. Owners will likely vouch for how many comments they get on the handles.
It's that extra flair as well as the touch screen that have really helped Tesla capture the imagination and make an emphatic statement that an all electric car can be desirable. I tend to think of it as a nice little flourish -- similar to how iOS has a slight rubber band bounce when you scroll to the top or bottom of a screen -- not essential but an appreciated touch of elegance.
That said, I agree a failsafe mode would have been a good idea.
Embedded video inline:
And if they fail when the car is out of warranty? I wonder how much it will cost to replace/fix. If this was a 1st year design glitch and was quickly resolved it would be one thing. But after this long?
Yeah, it's a cool feature. But I seriously doubt that if the Model S never had these retractable handles and had flush aerodynamic mechanical handles from the beginning that most people here would have cried out... "Oh, if this car only had retractable motorized handles."
The driving experience and other functional technology would have still captured the hearts and minds of everyone here.
Would be a better design if they failed 'out' though, or if you could give them a hard push and they popped out.