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You could power it from the hitch.. gone are the days of having to run an ICE to keep your beer cool.
fengshui
Member
That's a good spot. I think this is further evidence that the seats move significantly relative to the base. Why would you tie the seatbelt into the bolster like that unless the seat moves significantly relative to the base? That big knob would be an excellent place to put your seatbelt connection if it was fixed relative to the seat, but they didn't choose that. It could just be the lean forward mechanism, but I feel that the seats must move in some way relative to the base they're sitting on.
But Tesla is combining folding with individual moving seats on "sculptural" pedestals that run on single tracks on the floor. Elon said at the GM/CC that building those seats has turned out to be hard, singling out those seats like that suggests at least some problems have been had with it. Also, controversial poster Eds claimed initial (Signature?) Model X cars would be compromised compared to later cars.
It seems at least possible that Tesla hit a snafu with combining the individually moving seats and the folding functionality (which was present on the same seats on 2012-2013 prototype) and thus launched the Model X Signature with non-folding seats as a stopgap measure. This is speculation of course.
I also add the requirement for having the seat belts in the seats themselves as necessitated by the door design isn't helping either. Most of the old folding middle seat designs have body anchored belts.
None of these issues are insurmountable given enough time, but time has run out to hit Q3 2015.
None of these issues are insurmountable given enough time, but time has run out to hit Q3 2015.
3s-a-charm
Active Member
Seat delays (if this were the case) could not only come from manufacturer/design constraints but also if these seats are truly revolutionary, there may have been regulatory/safety hurdles to jump over as well that caused delays.
Do manufacturers need to crash-test vehicles before first public deliveries? Do "Founders Series" get away with special rules for distribution as being "non-public" or are they governed by the same public launch regulations?
Either way... looking forward to seeing the finalized Model X (and getting my v7.0 software).
Interesting speculation. It is certainly possible folding, individually moving second row could have had safety concerns that they are now fixing for future versions of the seats, but in the meanwhile are shipping cars without folding second row.
I hope tesla offers a 2nd row option that folds flat, or at least creates additional storage capacity. My wife's car (our last ICE) is due to be replaced, and the plan was to replace it with the X. If the X isn't going to offer that (now or in the future) we'll be forced to buy something else, and the options for BEVs in VA with adequate range are slim. She doesn't want an S.
I would expect Model X to get folding second row at some point. The bigger question is, will it appear too soon for comfort for the Signature buyers who may now be getting a non-folding version?
I think the standard 2nd row will fold flat. Now, maybe they'll first deliver some thousand cars with the non-folding 2nd row, while they do the finishing touches on the folding 2nd row, but the deliveries of the standard 2nd row should start before xmas. Once they announce that the standard 2nd row will fold flat, I doubt it will be easy for Tesla to find very many thousands of general production reservation holders willing to order the non-folding 2nd row. So with the ramp up, they will run out of firm orders pretty quick.
Tesla could try to get more people into a Model X with non-folding 2nd row by being quiet about the folding 2nd row for as long as possible, but the result will be mass cancellations and anger from buyers who receive the non-folding 2nd row days and weeks before the launch of the folding 2nd row. This leads me to conclude that the best option is to simply announce folding 2nd row in October, with deliveres before xmas.
I believe (pure speculation) that Tesla plans to have 2 seat options: (a) regular seats (b) upgraded seats. The upgraded seats are what we see in the Design Studio today and are standard with Signature deliveries. These, for whatever reasons, cannot fold, but are light-weight, have heating/cooling/ventilation, and are very comfortable and nice to look at. My guess is that making these seats articulate into a flat-cargo area may not have been possible or there may have been too many compromises (e.g. weight, looks). Sometimes having too many features complicates things and it can't do everything well.
I suspect that the regular seats will fold, but may not have heating/cooling/ventilation and may not be as pretty to look at.
I suspect that the regular seats will fold, but may not have heating/cooling/ventilation and may not be as pretty to look at.
scottf200
Well-Known Member
Boom. I think this supports the hypothesis that there will be a fold-flat option once it hits full production.
lucy
bluehair
muleferg
Active Member
If it makes you feel better, we don't know if the non-folding seats have cooling/ventilation... It's listed as "Ventilated leather seats with heating and cooling", but it may just be the front seats.
The heating for the 2nd and 3rd row seats seem to be optional on the Signatures. Included under "Subzero Weather Package". Look: Model X Configuration has begun! - Page 2
(Actually, looking at the design studio again, I'm pretty sure you can't get ventilated/cooled seats for the 2nd and 3rd row.)
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But you can almost certainly combine the Subzero Weather Package with the folding seats, so you *should* get heating in them.
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