Tesla frunk security flaw ?

[aesculus]

If you have a better safety design in mind for emergency responders access to disengage the battery, you should write to Tesla. I am sure they will happily consider it.

Anything that was better for first responders would probably be even less secure. If they had their way from a safety perspective, the cable would be exposed on the outside of the car so they just had to walk up to it.

 

[DrivingTheFuture]

EVannex... There's your next accessory... Always on frunk security camera

 

[Jimmy 1]

This is not a big deal, but thank you to the media for blowing it up. Your alarm will scare them off.

 

[boaterva]

If you read the first responders' manual for the cars (publically available on the Tesla site), there's even more interesting stuff in it. Not as good as how to open the frunk, though. I got this tidbit from 'Like Tesla' also, as well as the 'dead zone' for the Model X key fob (same post, I believe).

 

[mknox]

My 2014 era Model S has an internal trunk release in the front passenger area. As far as I know, there is no exterior release however I remember at some point in time that release was taken out of production.

Ditto my early 2013. The thing is back then, you could pop the nosecone off to access the 12v jump terminals, power up the car and access the doors, trunk, frunk etc. electrically. The refresh design has no provision like that to get to the jump terminals, so you have to be able to open it in some other manner.

 

[Zaphod]

This is not a big deal, but thank you to the media for blowing it up. Your alarm will scare them off.

Yep, anything to drive clicks. Just include "Tesla" and "crash/fire/flaw/accident/death" or whatever in the headline and bingo, attention and web traffic follow.

 

[jeffro01]

I believe you guys are missing another factor here... How the hood latching mechanism works is regulated quite heavily and is the reason why you don't have an auto open/close mechanism for the front. It's simply not allowed by the regulations. The same goes for the latching mechanism...

Yet another example of how the regulations haven't kept up with the reality. Blame Tesla all you want, but their hands are likely very tied on this one... If someone can dispute my assumption though, I'm all eyes...

Jeff

 

[K-MTG]

They can also disable your car by slashing tires, breaking your lights or smashing your windshield.

We need a Frunkshade

 

[mal_tsla]

At the very least the alarm should sound upon pulling cord 1 instead of after the Frunk is successfully opened.

 

[Twiglett]

Thanks go to InsideEVs for resurrecting this again.
I don't know whats happened to InsideEVs now - their reporting is getting out of step and comment censorship is becoming annoying

 

[ikjadoon]

The obvious, simple solution to this problem: put a secondary lock-able door on the frunk storage compartment. It should lift open (i.e., unlocked) with the hood at all times, *except* if the hood is opened with the emergency release.

There. It's minimal cost and at least it prevents someone from stealing it surreptitiously.

Car alarms: right...we're too desensitized. How many times have you called the police when a car alarm went off?

 

[ahtlys]

I see a growing market for Tesla brand Booby Trap.

 

[Twiglett]

I checked the first responder guide for the LEAF - the high voltage disconnect is inside the car, under a plastic cover which then requires three 10mm bolts be removed before you get to the disconnect.
That sounds a heck of a lot more secure than requiring access to the frunk.

 

[aesculus]

I was in my frunk today. I used the center console button to open it. There is no secondary latch on my frunk, at least one that is active. All I have to do is to pull it up. I suspect wind would do that too.

Am I to assume that my secondary latch is MIA?

 

[vandacca]

I checked the first responder guide for the LEAF - the high voltage disconnect is inside the car, under a plastic cover which then requires three 10mm bolts be removed before you get to the disconnect.
That sounds a heck of a lot more secure than requiring access to the frunk.

It could also be considered less safe as it would take emergency responders a lot longer to disconnect. There are advantages and disadvantages to either solution.