Time to go Frunkless?

[malcolm]

Model 3 bodywork will be steel so the hood will be less prone to dents, but will the new vehicle size reduce the frunk down to sub-Roadster-trunk capacity?

Apart from a crumple zone and space for a front motor, does Model 3 need a frunk?
Will the single motor version have a frunk worth opening?
Would/should that space be better utilized elsewhere in the vehicle?

Do you love your frunk, and/or feel that fuse box and washbottle access should only be done from the front?

Now's the time to be upfront about it

 

[JenniferQ]

I enjoy the frunk because can put dirty things in it like boots, rags, smelly take out food, etc. and not have it impact the interior of the car.

 

[ohmman]

While I keep only rarely-used items in my frunk (charging adapters, extension cord - gasp!), I wouldn't want to lose the crumple zone that makes this vehicle so safe.

 

[liuping]

The frunk used to be more larger and useful before we switched to a 90D, now it's so small its just for misc stuff.

But it's still a great place to keep charging adapters, tire repair kits/pump, first aid kit, tow hook, front license plate, etc.

The crumple zone is a critical safety feature, so I don't see it going away.

 

[Ugliest1]

Crumple! Keep it!

OT: if you say or write "crumple" several times in a row, it starts to sound like a really weird word. Go ahead. You know you want to try it.

 

[Electric700]

If Tesla can keep a frunk in the Model 3, that would be great. I would understand if it needs to be smaller than the one the Model S with AWD has.

 

[tga]

Will the single motor version have a frunk worth opening?

Of course, because the single motor will be in the rear.

*ducks*

 

[Max*]

Model 3 bodywork will be steel so the hood will be less prone to dents

Is this confirmed or speculation?


I vote for frunk. I love mine, keep charging adapters, extension cord, a case of bottled water, shopping bags, bounty, snow clearing brush, etc. in my D frunk.

 

[Kevin Harney]

Model 3 bodywork will be steel so the hood will be less prone to dents, but will the new vehicle size reduce the frunk down to sub-Roadster-trunk capacity?

Apart from a crumple zone and space for a front motor, does Model 3 need a frunk?
Will the single motor version have a frunk worth opening?
Would/should that space be better utilized elsewhere in the vehicle?

Do you love your frunk, and/or feel that fuse box and washbottle access should only be done from the front?

Now's the time to be upfront about it

I for one believe that it will NOT be steel. TM has invested too much in Al construction and tech to chuck it on the Model 3. And the car needs to be light.

Crumple Zone is of paramount importance. Elon will NOT settle for less than a 5 star rating in ALL categories. And since it will be there why not use it for storage ?

The single motor edition will of course have a frunk worth opening because the motor will be in the rear !! No good reason for the car to be Front Wheel Drive.

How can that space in the Frunk be moved to another area of the car ? Then it wouldn't be a frunk. :wink:

I really dont't care where they put the fuse box etc. I never access them anyway or at least maybe once a year to fill washer fluid. All that stuff is in the Trunk of my BMW I think (except washer fluid).

In short it seems a waste not to have a frunk to me but that's just MHO.

 

[benjiejr]

I enjoy the frunk because can put dirty things in it like boots, rags, smelly take out food, etc. and not have it impact the interior of the car.

Funny. I thought I was the only person to do this. I basically only use my frunk for take out food so it doesn't stink up the car. Even after I remove the food my frunk will stink for several days. Don't judge. lol

 

[Twiglett]

It will be an interesting design if they choose to make the nose small enough so that a frunk would be impractical.
However I can't see that happening with all the rules for pedestrian impact mitigation, lighting etc etc

 

[Mr X]

I'd never use the frunk and would barely use the trunk. So they can do whatever they want up front.

 

[etm33]

OT: if you say or write "crumple" several times in a row, it starts to sound like a really weird word. Go ahead. You know you want to try it.

Semantic satiation at it's finest...

Relatedly, (and close to home for me), is that any # of repetitions of the word buffalo forms a grammatically correct sentence: "Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo."

And, to not totally derail the conversation; I quite hope that my future Model 3 has a usable frunk for "emergency" type things that aren't needed often but can help in cases of distress.

 

[wayner]

I have had my model S for 11 months and I think I have only opened the frunk 3 times. It is a pain in the butt to close the frunk and you are likely to get dirty if you do so as well since the front of the car is much more likely to pick up road grime than the rear and you don't have automated closing of the frunk, at least not on the Model S. IMHO it is no big loss if there is no frunk.

 

[Twiglett]

I would think that the cost of finishing out and weatherproofing the frunk would have to exclude it from the base models

 

[S'toon]

It will be an interesting design if they choose to make the nose small enough so that a frunk would be impractical.
However I can't see that happening with all the rules for pedestrian impact mitigation, lighting etc etc

What are the rules? Because there's ain't that much space between the front bumper and the driver's compartment in a Smart Car.

 

[aronth5]

I have had my model S for 11 months and I think I have only opened the frunk 3 times. It is a pain in the butt to close the frunk and you are likely to get dirty if you do so as well since the front of the car is much more likely to pick up road grime than the rear and you don't have automated closing of the frunk, at least not on the Model S. IMHO it is no big loss if there is no frunk.

And if Tesla resolves the closing problem so it was simple to close the frunk would that change your mind?

 

[woof]

Is this confirmed or speculation?

Speculation.

 

[MiamiNole]

The frunk is actually something that drew me in to Tesla even more. I still remember my first time seeing it when I went to a Tesla gallery for the first time. Everyone with me was impressed. When is having more space within the confines of a traditional car shape a bad thing? If I'm really going to use the Model 3 to take family road trips in the future, the extra space in the front definitely WILL be utilized by me. I don't see why they wouldn't keep it if they really plan for the Model 3 to sell well to the general public.

 

[favo]

I like the functionality of the frunk and hope they keep it. I also hope they can improve the closing, so it can easily be done with one hand and no worries of damage to the hood. Power open/close would be a nice option, but may be impossible due to safety requirements for manual secondary latch mechanism.

Correction: I guess there is no explicit requirement for a secondary latch position or system to be manual. See 49 CFR 571.113.