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It may be true that "most keyless entry vehicles" have an extra step (typically clicking the fob), I am comparing Model S against my 2007 Prius. With that car, I walk towards the car with the fob in my pocket, and pull the door handle. The door unlocks and opens in one seamless motion without any delay.
With a conventional Prius (without the proximity fob), you press the unlock button on the fob, and then pull the handle.
It should be the case that, with the tech package, the door handles are already extended and waiting for you when you are close enough to reach for them, and if the pull mechanism works properly, then it should be just as seamless as the Prius is with the proximity fob. I will be disappointed with anything less.
For the non-tech package, it should be the case that you click the fob as you walk towards the car, so again the handles are waiting for you to pull, and it should be as seamless as a non-prox Prius.
In summary, there's nothing about these handles that should, necessarily, introduce greater delay to the most common interactions. Unless they're not implemented well.
With a conventional Prius (without the proximity fob), you press the unlock button on the fob, and then pull the handle.
It should be the case that, with the tech package, the door handles are already extended and waiting for you when you are close enough to reach for them, and if the pull mechanism works properly, then it should be just as seamless as the Prius is with the proximity fob. I will be disappointed with anything less.
For the non-tech package, it should be the case that you click the fob as you walk towards the car, so again the handles are waiting for you to pull, and it should be as seamless as a non-prox Prius.
In summary, there's nothing about these handles that should, necessarily, introduce greater delay to the most common interactions. Unless they're not implemented well.
roblab
Active Member
Up until a few years ago, I could wind up my windows faster manually than you can get them up with electric motors on your honda pickup. Same benefits, more prone to break down with power windows (my 8 yr old Toyota product rear passenger opens sporadically, can't find the reason). But that was no reason to dump all the manual window winders.
And then there are those windows on the roof. Totally irresponsible! They leak, and are expensive. They let in too much heat. Yadda yadda.
And why don't we talk about prone to break when we discuss the near 1000 parts in an ICE drive train?
If all we can worry about is a door handle, then Tesla has won. If they offered me manual door handles vs electric, for a few hundred more, guess which one I would pick. That's right. Cool.
strider
Active Member
+1 Where does it say that you have to touch the handle to use them? We have to on the test drives because the fob is already inside the car in the pocket of the Tesla rep. When it's your car, when you push the unlock button the handles should extend. Then when they complete the software update, those w/ the tech package won't even have to click the unlock button. People are getting so wrapped up on having to touch the handle to make it present when you'll rarely if-ever need to once it's your car. You're not going to be waiting for the handle to extend - they'll already be extended by the time you need to open the door.
smorg, I don't have a Sig but I'll take your bet once my car arrives.
Beavis
Model S Signature 991
It is a good fall back when there is nothing else to complain about. At least amputating fingers isn't being brought up again.
Beavis
Model S Signature 991
Some issues, I understand. The interior has been noted in a few of the journalist reviews, for example, and discussed endlessly in the forums. Complaining about the design of the door handles, however, is like complaining about the touch screen vs. buttons. Both are unique features of the car that have been part of the design since day one. Both work and neither will change.
smorgasbord
Active Member
You don't want to get me going about how it's virtually impossible on some cars to get the windows opened just a crack. They want to be all the way up or all the way down.
Except Model S rear windows don't go all the way down.
I think a source of the current discussion is that the door handles have been described as working a certain way, but at the events, they don't work that way. Specifically, we have never seen the "slide out as you approach" behavior, and people (myself included) have noticed that it seems like a bit of a cumbersome process to have to press the handles and wait for them to extend. The web site describes the behavior one way, but I have personally had three disparate explanations from various Tesla folks as to how the door handles will work. It's not surprising that there's confusion.
Also, the actual opening of the doors has apparently changed from touch activation (which was the case at Santana Row, and which seemed to be a bit fiddly) to physical pull activation, which some people have observed to have a lag in operation.
It has been hypothesized that the first issue is due to the fact that nobody is "approaching" the car with the fob. It's either inside the car, or on the person of the co-pilot, or whatever. My understanding is that the "slide out as you approach" software isn't finished yet, but is being actively worked on. I don't know what's really going on with the touch-versus-pull issue.
I don't know who has been "complaining" about the operation of the handles. I hope nobody is interpreting my comments as complaining. We know that Tesla reads these forums. I think this is a perfect venue to express an opinion about how we hope the car will behave. It is, after all, a fairly fundamental thing to get into and out of the car, so it's something that Tesla needs to get really right. I think that the handles can be made to work really really well and in a way that is every bit as convenient as one of the most convenient cars around (the Prius, as I described above), plus the added benefit of "walk-away locking", which is a big step up. I'm looking forward to seeing and trying the handles when the software and tweaking is all finished!
And for what it's worth, I had the door handle retract onto my fingers in Palo Alto. It was very gentle compared to some cars whose handles have pinched me over the years.
youlikeadajuice
P 9130
The "slide out as you approach" feature seems to be shown in this video about 50 seconds in:
I did not personally witness it at the test drive, but I assume it was because the fob was already in the car. I did fumble with the actual opening of the door the first time, but got it the second time around. Seemed pretty basic once I got the feel for it! It was definitely a slight physical "pull" with a slight lag to open vs. any sort of a touch sensitive thing. I think the handles are great though!
I did not personally witness it at the test drive, but I assume it was because the fob was already in the car. I did fumble with the actual opening of the door the first time, but got it the second time around. Seemed pretty basic once I got the feel for it! It was definitely a slight physical "pull" with a slight lag to open vs. any sort of a touch sensitive thing. I think the handles are great though!
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Advise for Tesla:
At one of the upcoming events, (1) have only the vehicles that best capture "experience of the first 100 signature vehicles" present, (2) change the Test Drive experience so that drivers experience the "approach with key and enter the vehicle" process, (3) advertise that you will be doing this in the blog and specify which location, and (4) request that Amped participants at the event report on their experiences at TMC and the official forum.
Easy solution to this drama, IMO.
More likely somebody just clicked the key fob, which extends the handles. I believe the software version on the initial Founder deliveries does not have the auto-extend feature, but I'm sure it's coming. Hopefully it will be all dialed in by the time the Signatures start taking delivery, and we'll hear some reports here.
More likely somebody just clicked the key fob, which extends the handles. I believe the software version on the initial Founder deliveries does not have the auto-extend feature, but I'm sure it's coming. Hopefully it will be all dialed in by the time the Signatures start taking delivery, and we'll hear some reports here.
I would like it to be optional to have it so they only extend with the click a button the fob, and automatically retract when the door closes, or when it senses someone sitting.
Hopefully we can program all this ourselves.
So I spent a significant amount of time playing with the handles this weekend. Here are my notes:
It takes a light *push* (not touch) to cause them to extend.
It takes a light *pull* (not touch) to open the door.
If the handle pulls in while your fingers in there, no one except maybe a small ant will get hurt. It's very gentle.
The door release mechanism is very Roadster-like. Electro-mechanical. There's a slight delay between pulling on the handle and the door unlatching. New and different, but didn't bother me (as a Roadster owner who's used to the mechanism).
It takes a light *push* (not touch) to cause them to extend.
It takes a light *pull* (not touch) to open the door.
If the handle pulls in while your fingers in there, no one except maybe a small ant will get hurt. It's very gentle.
The door release mechanism is very Roadster-like. Electro-mechanical. There's a slight delay between pulling on the handle and the door unlatching. New and different, but didn't bother me (as a Roadster owner who's used to the mechanism).
Beavis
Model S Signature 991
More likely somebody just clicked the key fob, which extends the handles. I believe the software version on the initial Founder deliveries does not have the auto-extend feature, but I'm sure it's coming. Hopefully it will be all dialed in by the time the Signatures start taking delivery, and we'll hear some reports here.
Why do you believe that the Founders don't have the auto-extend feature?
strider
Active Member
Because Tesla said that that feature wouldn't make it into version 1.o of the software which would mean Founders don't have it either. They said they would enable that feature via a software update at some later date.
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