this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2024
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[–] [email protected] 271 points 1 month ago (12 children)

When I first learned that Teslas (and almost all other EV's) have electronic only doors, I knew this kind of situation would happen.
I hope this gets laws enacted that force manufacturers to install mechanical latches on all of their vehicles. I know Teslas have manual overrides on their front doors, but the rear doors still have this issue.

[–] [email protected] 92 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It's like if Titanic not only didn't have enough lifeboats, but instead had no lifeboats, and also everyone was locked in their cabins.

[–] [email protected] 69 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The Titantic was designed to stay afloat long enough to allow everyone to disembark in cohorts on life boats to rescue boats and send the lifeboats back for the rest- it was never intended to fit everyone on lifeboats all at once.

It was that a mix of how telephone operators made more money off personal telegrams than ice warnings, and didnt relay the messages, and how nearby possible rescue ships had gone to bed and turned off their radios meant this process didn't get executed, and how because the iceberg hit the ship, essentially creating a large gash the entire length of the ship, causing the flotation bulwarks to be breached, which is a very rare occurrence, caused so much death.

In Tesla's case, that much aforethought hasn't been taken.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

People weren’t meant to stay in the life boats? That’s a new one on me, I’d read that they had space more life boats but utilise it, instead going with the legal minimum.

Yes, I know I’m derailing the topic at hand, but I’m interested.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 month ago (1 children)

In this case, they have lifeboats (apparently), they were just all hidden down in the ship somewhere (apparently).

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

False: "All but two lifeboats were situated on the Boat Deck, the highest deck of Titanic."

"Titanic only had enough lifeboats to accommodate approximately a third of the ship's total capacity."

"Compounding the disaster, Titanic's crew was poorly trained on using the davits (lifeboat launching equipment). As a result, lifeboat launches were slow, improperly executed, and poorly supervised. These factors contributed to several lifeboats leaving with only half their capacity."

But seems they launched 18 out of 20 available.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifeboats_of_the_Titanic

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I believe @[email protected] is referring to how Teslas have electronic door releases instead of mechanical handles and they don’t work in a fire. There is a mechanical emergency override (I think only on the front doors) but it’s not obvious and there have been multiple deaths from people who could not figure out how to escape from burning vehicles.

To me it’s the most egregious example of Tesla not knowing the basics of how to build a car or eschewing user experience conventions that have been developed over more than a century of car building for good reasons in favor of trying to be modern or futuristic.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Thx, okay I didn't get it but makes sense. Yeah it's really stupid to "reinvent" everything and offhandedly brush away the things that have been written in blood during previous decades... I mean it's kind of obvious that a safety mechanism needs to be fast and easy to operate. Making someone disassemble a door while on fire and blind from the thick smoke might not be the best idea. And you'd need to perform some safety dance each time before boarding a Tesla or people/passengers won't know the strange procedures.

[–] [email protected] 83 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I hope this gets laws enacted that force manufacturers to install mechanical latches on all of their vehicles.

Considering Musk's love affair with the incoming administration, I wouldn't bet on it for the next 4 years (hopefully)

In fact I'd be happy to just have the NHTSA avoid being dismantled in the next 4 years

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Just how California had laws that effectively forced automakers to make nationwide changes, Europe can still mandate this and it may end up here regardless.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 month ago

The cybertruck is already illegal here in the EU since it doesn't comply with pedestrian safety laws.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I don't think it will have as much of an effect on the auto industry I'm afraid, the auto industry is already well used to having multiple regional models to comply with weird country quirks of their own vehicle safety boards.

Any EU mandate will just get through onto the already existing model destined for EU countries. Unless the EU writes it in such a way to force companies to abide by it in all countries even non-EU, but that would be a legal gray area for sure.

It works for Cali because no company is going to have multiple regional region cars (i.e. states), that would be a step to far for them lol

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago

Mid-terms are in 2 years!

NHTSA is part of the executive, so he would still have control over it, but we can at least hopefully place restrictions on his power (or impeach) in 2, assuming the election still happens and the results are accepted.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

In general, this isn't exactly a safety conscious administration in those terms.

Prepare to see a lot more products with serious safety issues coast by disinterested regulators and become popular with your friends and family. Peppering your life with a little extra spice.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 month ago (1 children)

When I first learned that Teslas (and almost all other EV’s) have electronic only doors

I really just want a regular car with an EV power train. Don't to change a bunch of shit on the car, unless it is germane to its function as an EV. Things like doors, instrument clusters, turn signals, infotainment, HVAC controls, shifting (e.g. park, reverse, drive) should be the same as any other vehicle.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago

You want an e-Golf, which was a beautifully stupid, half-hearted implementation of an EV by Volkswagen, who because they really didn't want to do it, spent almost nothing on redesign, and in the process creating a ridiculously fun vehicle to drive with sporty handling and high torque at low speed, but nothing else changed from the classic Golf design. Door handles, freaking dials on the dashboard, manual climate and audio controls. Sadly, it isn't being made anymore. We've outgrown ours and it's time for me to let someone else enjoy the experience (especially with the Biden used EV sales incentives going away soon) but my daughter loves it so much that I'm dreading the tantrum that I know will come when I sell it.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The model Y has mechanical emergency door openers in the front. Not in the rear. It complains about possibly breaking window trim when you use them.

They are not super obvious though and you’d have to know in an emergency.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Yeah the releases in the 3 and Y aren’t too bad. Most people use them by mistake once or twice (and get the warning about window trim).

The X however is unforgivable. You have to pop off the speaker grills to get to them and then the door also weighs a lot and has to be manually lifted upwards.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 month ago

You have to pop off the speaker grills

Oh yes, the obvious thing to do when trying to escape a fire.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

As if we didn't have enough reasons to hate musk

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

No, on the X there is a lever just below the open door button on the front doors. I have seen multiple people use it instead of the button because the button in the front door is less obvious to them then the lever.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I’m talking about the back doors. But yes. I incorrectly compared the front doors in the 3/Y with the back doors of the X.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Same with the Model 3.

I have to disagree with them not being obvious however. Nearly every new person in my Model 3 goes to grab the emergency release immediately. I even added vinyl door open stickers next to the button to make it more obvious and it still happens almost every time.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Yes I wasn’t clear. They aren’t obvious for rear seat passengers. They are in a reasonable and semi obvious place for front seat passengers. The very first time I was in a model y I pulled the emergency door pull thinking that was the handle.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The model 3 and Y both back mechanical backups. I suspect the S does too. The back doors on the X definitely don't, but that's not the only questionable design decision on the X.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

but that’s not the only questionable design decision on the X.

They didn't want sliding doors because that makes it a minivan. And minivans are "uncool"

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

So give it regular-ass doors like every other SUV. Now Tesla's only full-size SUV (as well as their only "truck") are not compatible with a roof rack. If I get an SUV or a truck it's because I want to move a bunch of stuff around, and I 100% will get a roof rack because of that.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Most manufacturers use the door handle to override the electronic system. Like pulling twice or harder than usual.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

That's fine then. We're relearning why all cars with manual transmissions have the same foot pedal and shift pattern arrangement. It's so in a panic situation, people aren't having to orientate themselves mentally and can just go off of muscle memory to save themselves. I should be shocked that Tesla didn't hire any auto industry veterans that know that, but I'm not. This reeks of software dev shit where every new MBA coming in just has to shake things up and reinvent everything so they can leave their mark.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

And it reeks because they "leave their mark" just like an unneutered cat.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Anyone who has ever been in a Tesla knows they're a software company, not a car company. The cars are made like crap.

I still wouldn't go back to ICE though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Nothing about having an EV drive train requires electric doors. Others have already said that other EVs have manual doors or manual override for panic situations.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (6 children)

Didn't say I wouldn't go back to manual latches, just not going back to ICE (or selling my almost paid cars) because elon is a twit or they are unreasonably dangerous in the event of a freak accident.

This is a stupid problem to have, but expected value says most people will never have it.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I read an article that Teslas are designed to have thier electrics in a daisy chain to avoid big ugly bundles of wires. But that just means a failure propagates down the chain so non critical systems can take out critical ones. Clearly he doesn't listen to or hire car engineers.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Rear doors have manual overrides too.

Not simping for Elon, fuck him.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Reading this thread that does appear to be the case, that's insane. Fuck Elon again.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago

With lord Elon presiding over god king trumps “economy”, I wouldn’t count on that. Adding that safe guard measure would cost him too much.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Shouldn't an electric be programmed to open if it finds itself undergoing powerloss? Isn't that like a very basic failsafe? One so basic it's the plot to an indie horror game that wasn't intended for children but found an audience there anyway?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Clearly Tesla opted for the fail-deadly route instead of the fail-safe route. Fuckin ridiculous.

In all honesty, I don't see a good solution to electronic doors. If the power dies while it's just sitting in your driveway, now it's open, if the doors open on electricity loss. Definitely better than what they have now, but I'd prefer something completely different. Like what if we had a series of levers and cables that opened the door? I know, it's like, next level crazy, but maybe...

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

this is why electric locks should NOT be relied on for safety: electric locks MUST default open when something goes wrong, which means that picking them is as easy as making them malfunction or cutting the power.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Except power cables are inside and to pick them you first need to pick them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Should've known

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They have mechanical overrides but look whee some of them are. Have to remove a door panel.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Some of the cheaper ones skip the overrides in the back to deliver more value to shareholders.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Every fucking one of them needs to be recalled.

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