While I can understand the benefits of the retractable door handles for better airflow and aerodynamics, I am concerned about some of the potential practical functionality of the door handles in certain situations. For example, how would the door handles slide out if the valet wanted to open the door for you or your passenger when you are seated inside the car? Do you need to open it from the inside first? Also, if the car was in a bad collision and the emergency first responders needed to open the door from the outside to get passengers out, how would they open the door besides breaking the windows? These are just two situations that I thought of that could be of potential concern and hopefully, someone knows how these would be addressed.
I haven't seen the system work, but I would assume that the handles would extend whenever the car is stopped, running and in park. Not sure about the emergency situation, but rarely are the presence of door handles necessary for getting in the car by emergency responders, esp. if the accident is really severe.
Doug, thanks for the video. Just as Goyogi said, looks like you can just press the door handles and it will pop out.
I don't know... If you look at the end of the Model X unveil video, you'll see the first person up on stage eventually had to reach inside and open it from the inside... Every time I've seen a beta the door handles have been "disabled".
I was really wondering if they are going to take those handles to market or redesign. I think that without 100% reliability I don't want them.
When they brought the Model S with Roadster drivetrain (same as in the video above) to Menlo Park for another unveiling party, I got a chance to use those door handles. The one I used didn't feel particularly ergonomical. It felt milled out of aluminum and had a sharp (though slightly rounded) edge where the fingers came in contact with the handle... not curved to the contour of the hand. Didn't feel particularly robust either, very much proof of concept. Also if you watch my videos, the behavior of the handles seem less than optimal. Of course by now they've had a couple of years to refine the design. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0csRF1Sz-B0#t=82s
I noticed that too, but she actually didn't reach inside and get it opened. Somebody that entered into the 2nd row reached to the driver door and opened it for her. -Shark2k
Either way, the door handles remain my only big problem with this car. Aside from the 2009 video above, I have never really seen them work. And I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to stick my fingers in the handle and not worry about keeping them... If regular handles were an extra option, I would pay to get them.
Has anyone actually seen the door handles work well in person? From all the videos that I have seen and from attending the beta visits, the door handles have not operated smoothly or without some manual assistance from inside the cabin. It's still a bit disconcerting to me.
I think you guys are right. The door handles aren't going to work. The first dozen car owners are going to have their fingers amputated. Tesla engineers will be slapping their foreheads saying, "WOW, why didn't we think of that?!".
These are the same concerns people had about power windows. Apparently the reverse-on-obstruction mechanisms work satisfactorily and they are quite reliable.
The handles aren't going to amputate any fingers. I think they'll pulled in by some relatively soft springs.
It took three finger amputations and a decapitation before the first cars with power windows were recalled.