# What is this car hatch? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 2, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787 "2020-01-02T17:25:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/1 "2020-01-02T17:25:40Z")
I was surprised to see what [looked like a gas tank hatch](https://i.imgur.com/ixqLqLQ.jpg) in front of the driver’s door on this car (an Audi, IIRC). On the passenger side rear there is a gas hatch where I’d expect to see it. Any ideas what it is? A few friends were stumped. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/2 "2020-01-02T17:27:24Z")
It’s probably a plug in hybrid, so that’s where the socket is to plug in to recharge the battery. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/3 "2020-01-02T17:27:45Z")
Plug in port for a hybrid? That’s where it is on my wife’s Ford C-Max. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/4 "2020-01-02T17:31:10Z")
Audi makes some plug in hybrids, both a gas tank and an electric plug. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/5 "2020-01-02T17:54:01Z")
Cool! Electric cars are pretty rare around here IME. ---
**Author:** ![KMS94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ad7895/32.png) [@KMS94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KMS94)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/6 "2020-01-02T19:34:16Z")
I believe that is a Volvo XC90 hybrid. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/7 "2020-01-02T22:06:28Z")
Outer torpedo door? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/8 "2020-01-02T22:13:01Z")
Hidey-hole? ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vegetable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Space\_Vegetable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vegetable)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/9 "2020-01-02T22:47:50Z")
Many vehicles have sophisticated computer systems now. That’s where you load the hamsters. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/10 "2020-01-02T22:59:17Z")
Hybrid plug ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/11 "2020-01-03T00:16:31Z")
A secondary storage place for your trunk monkey? [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV-EzDtzme8) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/12 "2020-01-03T12:40:45Z")
> [@KMS94](#): > > I believe that is a Volvo XC90 hybrid. Heh. I’m not a car guy. When I took the picture I looked at the rear of the car, and I remember thinking, “oh, one of those safe cars” which to me would be an Audi or Volvo. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-car-hatch/845787/13 "2020-01-03T12:57:31Z")
It’s an RCS thruster — for Reaction Control System, aka a side thruster, or yaw thruster. Very helpful, e.g. for parallel parking. Image \>\> [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Shuttle\_front\_RCS.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Shuttle_front_RCS.jpg)