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Tesla owners say they've been trapped inside their EVs after they lost power

businessinsider.com

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Re: Tesla owners say they've been trapped inside their EVs after they lost power

#11

Post by helsinkiandrew »

chmod775 wrote: post #5
extraduder_ire wrote: post #3

I wonder why the windows broke. I assume something got installed out of order during assembly. I wonder if any other cars have such backup systems to open the doors. That part about bypassing the rear doors' child lock could be quite useful on other vehicles.

> I wonder if any other cars have such backup systems to open the doors. Many cars don't need backup because the car doesn't need power in the first place to open the doors. The ID.4 is a comparable car that does: the emergency door opening engages if you yank the lever hard twice. No need to hunt for some switch in the interior of the car.

> The ID.4 is a comparable car that does: the emergency door opening engages if you yank the lever hard twice. No need to hunt for some switch in the interior of the car.

That's a great design - gentle pull on the lever and the electronics opens the latch/door, pull harder and (your) mechanical effort opens the door.

Re: Tesla owners say they've been trapped inside their EVs after they lost power

#12

Post by Zetobal »

ZeKK14 wrote: post #8
IshKebab wrote: post #4

Why don't the door handles just open the door?

There is no frame around the window. The electrical door handle opens up a bit the window before unlocking the door to free it from the seal. Without power the manual handle needs to do that also, which is more complicated that a "normal" door handle.

It's not really complicated... it would be more expensive though.

Re: Tesla owners say they've been trapped inside their EVs after they lost power

#14

Post by CogitoCogito »

jdiff wrote: post #10
IshKebab wrote: post #4

Why don't the door handles just open the door?

The windows have no frame. They slide up into the body of the car. If the door opens, the car needs to roll the window down a bit, then open the door. Without power, none of that happens. And if you use the emergency switch, the window showers you in shattered glass. Quite an elegant system.

Talk about form over function.

Re: Tesla owners say they've been trapped inside their EVs after they lost power

#15

Post by kwstas »

jdiff wrote: post #10
IshKebab wrote: post #4

Why don't the door handles just open the door?

The windows have no frame. They slide up into the body of the car. If the door opens, the car needs to roll the window down a bit, then open the door. Without power, none of that happens. And if you use the emergency switch, the window showers you in shattered glass. Quite an elegant system.

Truly an inspired design if that is the case. Also the fact that the rear doors either do not have an emergency release or you have to lift the carpet to get to it is a marvel.

Donald Norman very early in his book "The Design of Everyday Things" discusses door design in modern buildings focusing on the lack and/or ambiguity of signifiers. These vehicles solve the problem just by removing the ability to open them.

Re: Tesla owners say they've been trapped inside their EVs after they lost power

#16

Post by expertentipp »

As a kid I was sick of mechanical cranks and levers, especially for car windows. Nowadays not only the door opener is electric, but also it probably sends telemetry to at least one political superpower. The next wave of despotism, like during pandemic, will likely bring thrilling new features and service integrations.

Re: Tesla owners say they've been trapped inside their EVs after they lost power

#17

Post by darkwater »

Claim: it is difficult to find the manual release handle for the doors

My reality: every single passenger who had never been on a Tesla before always uses the manual release handle instead of the right button, and I get a warning message on the screen and the risk of breaking the window glass.

Source: Tesla M3 owner

Re: Tesla owners say they've been trapped inside their EVs after they lost power

#18

Post by gorjusborg »

CogitoCogito wrote: post #14
jdiff wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The windows have no frame. They slide up into the body of the car. If the door opens, the car needs to roll the window down a bit, then open the door. Without power, none of that happens. And if you use the emergency switch, the window showers you in shattered glass. Quite an elegant system.

Talk about form over function.

But, the design is to die for.

Re: Tesla owners say they've been trapped inside their EVs after they lost power

#19

Post by 9991 »

wcoenen wrote: post #6
extraduder_ire wrote: post #3

I wonder why the windows broke. I assume something got installed out of order during assembly. I wonder if any other cars have such backup systems to open the doors. That part about bypassing the rear doors' child lock could be quite useful on other vehicles.

It's because to avoid damage, the frameless windows need to drop a few millimeter when the door is opened. This doesn't happen when the car has lost all power and the emergency manual door release is used.

Sounds like a bad design?

Re: Tesla owners say they've been trapped inside their EVs after they lost power

#20

Post by vGPU »

darkwater wrote: post #17

Claim: it is difficult to find the manual release handle for the doors My reality: every single passenger who had never been on a Tesla before always uses the manual release handle instead of the right button, and I get a warning message on the screen and the risk of breaking the window glass. Source: Tesla M3 owner

The first time I was ever in an m3 I did precisely that.
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