That is not obvious at all unless you have studied the owner’s manual, and not all Teslas are Model 3s.
Okay, they have a manual way to open the door. But i wouldn’t describe that as “in the usual expected place”. That’s kind of a hidden secret switch. I wouldn’t expect anyone to find it without having read the manual or otherwise being given guidance.
But good to know.
I used to drive a plug-in hybrid Ford Cmax. If it hadn’t been a lemon, I’d probably still be driving it. But it was a lemon. With a decent warranty. So Ford road service helped us a lot. Once, when the car died in the middle of a road, the service man arrived. And he said, “can you open the hatchback?” I replied, “no”. He looked at me, annoyed, and said, “i need to open that to get at the main battery to start your car”. And i told him, " and I’d love to open it for you, but i can’t, because the power is off and i can’t open that door without power".
It took a while, probably he had to jump the car to open the hatch, i forget. But anyway, i don’t mean to minimize the value of a mechanical backup. I wish I’d had one. But it’s not appropriate to describe that as “in the usual place”
How many people that rent Teslas are told that they must read the manual first, or even told that reading the manual first would be a good idea?
Hajario wrote “linked”, not attributed.
The Model 3 and Y have the same doors.
The electronic button opens the windows a little so it’s easier on the weather stripping. The mechanical just unlatches. Maybe because it’s the same on the Honda that I had before but the very first thing I did when I was in an Uber Tesla was open the door that way and the driver chastised me. I’ve had passengers do the same thing in my car before I explained to them. It was right where I and others expected it to be.
Everyone agrees that the Tesla rental thing was a terrible idea for many reasons. I can definitely tell you that the door latch was exactly where I expected it to be. The same place as my old Honda.
That was part of it, which as you say, is a factor for all EVs. But he specifically mentioned the doors.
That may just be simple physics; pressure differentials & the amount of water pressure on that door & even the strongest strongman couldn’t open it
The funny thing about that is: my Subaru has a mechanical door handle and the car senses that it is being used and dips the window just fine. My 2007 Mini did the same thing. Why Tesla went with the complexity of two door releases with only one of them working properly is beyond me.
This is not a Tesla issue, it is a high voltage battery issue. All EVs and hybrids are going to require different rescue procedures than used on gas cars. If you search you can find the manuals for emergency responders about the Nissan Leaf, Tesla, and others. They detail where to cut to disable the high voltage battery, and where it is safe cut chop apart the car without hitting in high voltage wires.
And cutting into the car has nothing to do with the electric door poppers. It is because sometimes in accidents the doors can’t be opened, or a bigger hole has to made to get someone out.
I agree. I drove a friend’s Mini not too long ago and that’s exactly how it worked and the latch was in the same place as the Tesla latch as I recall. Presumably it works just fine with a dead battery with the window staying in place.
Yeah, i accidentally rented an electric Kia a couple of months ago, and it was a huge nuisance in ways that owning the same car wouldn’t have been. We don’t yet have the infrastructure for electric rentals to be a good idea.
The glove compartment of the one I rented didn’t have a manual, just a Gideon’s bible, and one of those little green “Psalms + gospels.”
I did manage to bring a few helpful hints up on my phone. Like where the keys go so the car will start. I swear, it reminded me of those novelty puzzle boxes.
Yes, I realize that the bibles are one thing I cannot put squarely at the feet of Elon Musk.
I see you found the Easter Egg!
Probably left there by a previous renter.
could have left the manual as well.
I think Tesla’s manual is only online, not printed
Well, then, that info and a URL would have been helpful.
It can be accessed through the big screen in the car. That’s reasonably convenient,as you can’t lose, it, if you know it’s there.
I’m not blaming you for lack of this information; it’s not something we’re born with. I do blame the rental companies for not having a pamphlet with the title So You’ve Decided to Rent a Tesla. Not that anyone would read it, but the rental companies could at least try.
My own car, which was in for work, is a Leaf, and the car I booked was a Bolt. By the time I went in to get it, though, Tesla.
Or, as mentioned, right on the screen