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

businessinsider.com

21–30 of 82 posts

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

#21

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

Sample size: Very few

Type of evidence: Anecdotal

Statistical relevance: Tiny

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

#22

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

Claim: every single passenger in your Tesla has found the manual release without issue, so it must not be an issue.

Reality: some people are not able to find the manual release handle, which is a safety issue.

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

#23
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

This probably the only intuitive human factors design element of my ID.4. I mean that literally.

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

#24
post #10
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.

I wonder how well that works in the winter when it's really cold?

Obviously, not very well.

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

#25

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

Same experience for us. Every guest that rides in our Tesla M3 for the first time reaches for the manual release which works every time but gives a warning. I remember getting trapped in an ICE Jaguar as a kid because the battery died ... Central locking was electric and so were the windows that was scary; parents panicking ... we had to drive to a garage and someone hooked the car up to jump leads so we could get out.

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

#27

It's quite alarming that a guest or child in the back that hasn't read the manual has no chance of opening the doors in the event of a power failure after a crash. That the Model 3 rear doors can't be opened manually on a power failure is truly alarming.

Most hoaxes are alarming indeed.

EDIT: I misinterpreted the comment I was replying to.

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

#28
post #19
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Subarus have had frameless windows for decades and don't have this problem.

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

#29
post #24
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.

I wonder how well that works in the winter when it's really cold? Obviously, not very well.

Strange how Teslas aren't designed for either cold (many parts freeze) or hot climates (massive sunroof makes it unbearable)

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

#30
post #10
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.

I had a 2001 Subaru Outback with frameless windows, they didn't roll down at all when I opened the door with the 100% mechanical handle.
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