The ongoing X and Elon Musk Transgressions Thread

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

I don't understand what problem an interior electronic release for a car door solves. If it was overly strenuous to pull the little lever, or you're really desperate to show off your clever engineering, make it power assisted like brakes or electronic steering racks. But serious, is a door handle actually ugly or hard to use?

You can get rid of a lot of parts. You only need a solenoid and switches if it is electronic, so assembly is cheaper and quicker. The problem it solves is entirely financial.


But they require an emergency lever. It need only attach by cable to the same point the solenoid acts on. The risk then becomes as Photon mentions, opening the door without dropping the window and breaking it. So you don't want someone accidentally pulling it, and that's how Tesla got where they are. The solutions all involve cost and complexity. They could use a door with a frame, but that has more parts. They can't lock the pull from working in normal circumstances, because you could never ensure it unlocks when needed. So they hid it.


It's a solvable problem, but not when your constraints all rely on using fewer parts and saving money.

[Bill Bumface]

I really don't see how it's fewer parts. You still have an entire manual system to open the door, just with a cheaper handle. This is in addition to the electronic system that has 2 buttons/sensors (interior/exterior) as well as a more complicated release mechanism that needs to operate via electronic solenoid and manual release cable.

These were not complex or expensive things before. They are now.

[photon]

In my previous car the manual release was in the car itself rather than the door.. which kind of implies to does something to the car portion of however the latch works rather than the door portion, now I wish I would have looked to see I'm curious how it worked.

In that car the button to pop the door was going bad and the first time it happened and I tried to use the manual release I found out I was too fat to reach it. I either had to roll down the window and use the exterior door button or almost crawl into the passenger seat to be able to get into a position to reach. Realizing I could die in an accident because I was too big to reach the door release was pretty good motivation to make some changes lol.

Given how many people could never figure out how to get in or out of that car I guess the only real benefit is it's harder to steal because you can't figure out how to get in?

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

I really don't see how it's fewer parts. You still have an entire manual system to open the door, just with a cheaper handle. This is in addition to the electronic system that has 2 buttons/sensors (interior/exterior) as well as a more complicated release mechanism that needs to operate via electronic solenoid and manual release cable.

These were not complex or expensive things before. They are now.

It's far easier to route an electrical wire than it is a mechanical connection though. And because of that, manufacturers can basically have the same system of switches and actuators in every model, and just route the wire as needed. Whereas with full mechanical systems, they have to be designed more carefully. That's why the emergency mechanical releases are often in dumb spots, because they put them where it's simplest and cheapest to connect it.

Flush electronic handles also reduce drag slightly, so they can make sense for EVs where they're trying to squeeze out as much range as possible for a given battery size.

Really, this is a regulatory issue more than anything. The fact that companies are able to get away with some of the safety issues (both for occupants and pedestrians) that they are is an abomination.

[Fuzz]

I want to say it's an extra special Friday treat that opendoor has weighed in on the subject.