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Todd Burch
14-Year Member
Smorg, check out post #173 in this thread. Covers all scenarios you've mentioned, I came up with that plan in 10 minutes, late at night. It may not be perfect, but it solves all of your concerns.
If I can do that while tired, by myself, I'm sure a team can figure it out. They're probably smarter than me, and they probably are spending more than 10 minutes on the problem.
Point is, beta behavior means nothing, As vfx mentioned earlier in the thread, this is the production stage where those details are being worked on. It's really not that difficult a problem to solve.
If I can do that while tired, by myself, I'm sure a team can figure it out. They're probably smarter than me, and they probably are spending more than 10 minutes on the problem.
Point is, beta behavior means nothing, As vfx mentioned earlier in the thread, this is the production stage where those details are being worked on. It's really not that difficult a problem to solve.
Since it's a bit relevant to the thread, here is a video of my son trying to demo the door handle:
He was wrong: it wasn't locked, it opened when I put my fingers (it wouldn't even extend if the door was locked, right?)
He was right: there are indeed three seats back there...
He was wrong: it wasn't locked, it opened when I put my fingers (it wouldn't even extend if the door was locked, right?)
He was right: there are indeed three seats back there...
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Since it's a bit relevant to the thread, here is a video of my son trying to demo the door handle:
He was wrong: it wasn't locked, it opened when I put my fingers (it wouldn't even extend if the door was locked, right?)
He was right: there are indeed three seats back there...
Fixed kind sir:
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One other scenario: The car loses all power (short circuit, bricked, accident, lightning, who knows) and you need to get in. Will they function mechanically?
When was that taken? Says prototype on it, but they all have for a while now, so is it a newer prototype or an older?
Yeah, should have included that info. It was at the four Sig colors event at Santana Row on March 16.
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So not too long ago. To play devil's advocate a bit, here's the most recent car I know of (white perf) also seeming to have issues (towards the end):
Though I remember asking the poster and they said the rear doors were locked. I thought there was another video of them using the handles themselves though. I'll try to dig them up.
Here's the one I was thinking of via dadaleus: EVLife
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smorgasbord
Active Member
If that's what you truly believe then I'm not expressing the situations clearly nor precisely enough.
Overall, I think this has been a good discussion as it has help crystalize my thinking. Let me try a summary:
Any time you have an unlocked car door with a retracted handle, you have the potential additional inconvenience of "asking" the handle to present itself, when compared to normal car door handles. While this is a minor inconvenience, if it happens a lot, it could get pretty annoying.
Conversely, the only situation in which the retractable door handles can be more convenient is if we do as I stated in post #155 below, and which Todd basically reiterated in #173, - that a handle is extended whenever the relevant car door is unlocked and in PARK. In that case the handles perform as well as traditional door handles, but with the added convenience of letting people at a distance see if the car is locked/unlocked.
However, Tesla doesn't seem to like this obvious solution. They want the handles to automatically retract. They want the handles to automatically appear. They have said as much, and the cars we have seen have those properties. But, that means the handle extension/retraction is not necessarily tied to the lock/unlocked state of the door and so has the potential to be mismatched with what people are wanting to do.
Every time you press on the door handle to make it extend, you'll remember that that extra motion is the price of cool.
Every time it auto-extends as I approach, I'll remember the price of the tech package
Seriously though, you have valid concerns, but I don't think we can 100% call them issues just yet. Let's see these cars in the hands of owners and then see what the practicality amounts to. Surely even Elon isn't always in show-off mode and just wants in and out of his S quickly. I'm sure during real world testing they've encountered many of these issues. Hopefully they've found sensible solutions to them all.
Just remember that the cars we see aren't final #1 and #2 are likely in a limited/demo state.
I thought that way about the SS/SE system on the Prius while I was waiting for delivery. However, after a couple of weeks it turned into on of those items that you would not do without if you could at all possibly afford it.
Todd Burch
14-Year Member
I've often wondered how this is done on other cars without key locks, or when people only have FOBS. (What if the FOB died?). If power dies and the doors are locked, how do people get in with other cars? This is not unique to the Model S. maybe the fail-safe, no-power position is unlocked/extended?
Todd Burch
14-Year Member
If Tesla implements something sensible like I described, I see this as consuming a few seconds a month in my life at most. That's worth it.
And to reiterate, Tesla's never stated how the handles will work...that is, when specifically the handles would extend or retract. If we knew that, this would all be a moot point,
again, how is this any different than every other current keyless entry that doesn't use a physical key and key slot?
Todd Burch
14-Year Member
This is why no other car company lets potential customers fiddle with anything but a production car. Too many assumptions. Too many conclusions drawn on those assumptions.
A price very well worth it IMHO. Every day that you plug in the Model S you'll remember this extra inconvenience is the price of going electric. Every time you step on the throttle you'll be reminded that this extra performance sacrifices energy efficiency. Every time you look at the gorgeous curves of the Model S you'll be reminded that it could have been that much more aero-dynamic had it looked as ugly as sin...as a Prius.
Look, a lot of features of the Model S (as well as most everything for that matter) sacrifices or compromises something else. Apparently you don't think the coolness (and nearly negligible aerodynamic benefits) are worth the inconvenience it creates. Personally I don't see much of an inconvenience and am more than happy with the small compromise this features creates. Others might be bothered by the "impracticality" of a 17" touchscreen and think it's not worth the inconvenience of having to fish for controls, or the added risk of it going dead, or even the added energy consumption it creates.
Another unmentioned benefit of the retracting door handles is that it hides the inevitable scratches that collect under the door handle from people's nails. If you don't believe me, go out and check your current car. You'd be surprised by how many scratches accumulate between the handle and door panel.
Todd Burch
14-Year Member
Except that the Model S is actually more aerodynamic than a Prius...(from a Cd perspective, and possibly total drag as well)...and plugging in daily is actually a convenience, not an inconvenience...I can stop visiting the gas station on a weekly basis.
With BMW they have a physical key that folds out from the fob when you might need it. BMW also can unlock your car remotely if necessary.
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