2013 Tesla Model S Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,316
edited September 2014 in Tesla

image2013 Tesla Model S Long-Term Road Test

What happens if you get your finders stuck in the 2013 Tesla Model S door handles?

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  • quadricyclequadricycle Member Posts: 827
    Well the fancy door handles will probably make a kid or two cry, but that's about it. You were brave to test it though!
  • jederinojederino Member Posts: 0
    For the love of safety, please refrain from placing digits among start-up company's motorized parts.
  • noburgersnoburgers Member Posts: 500
    "chicken" fingers
  • dunning15dunning15 Member Posts: 0
    Wow. That's weird. I guess if you sitck a metal fork in an electrical outlet and keep it there you can get an electrical shock. Not really saying anything about that, it's just kind of interesting.
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    Except that there is no normal-use scenario for an electrical socket that involves sticking a fork into it. Having a hand grab a car door handle is ...well, that's why they call them HANDles. This is kind of a silly video - no one is really going to leave his hand in there for that long...but from what I gather, even Tesla owners mostly think these trick handles were a waste of resources and are a gimmick.
  • dunning15dunning15 Member Posts: 0
    Sure there is a normal-use scenario for an electrical socket that involves sitcking a fork in it - it's called curiosity and that's why it's happened millions of times to children everywhere there is electricity. Same thing here - if the door handles present themselves and I stick my hand in there and wait for 10 seconds I wonder what happens. Oh my! They actually close on my hand! There's a video on YouTube of a guy with his three or four year-old daughter with her hand caught in the door handle and she's laughing. I've never felt it so I can't comment from a direct perspective.
  • wdrauchwdrauch Member Posts: 22
    I bet a personal injury lawyer somewhere is already dreaming up a class-action lawsuit for this "defect".
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    I'm apparently engaged in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. dunning15, if you get a shock from that, it's not considered a design flaw, because you're not supposed to do it. Find me something in the product data/docs for an electrical receptacle - show me where it points out the correct way to stick a fork into it. You ARE supposed to stick your hand into a door handle. It's different. No, it's not going to hurt anyone. Could someone else point this out to dunning15? Thanks.
  • dunning15dunning15 Member Posts: 0
    "unarmed" - I don't think that word means what you think it means.
  • quadricyclequadricycle Member Posts: 827
    (Gets popcorn)
  • zimtheinvaderzimtheinvader Member Posts: 580
    great, now they will have to update all the cars so that they have a big yellow sticker below the handle warning of pinch danger and have sensors that will reverse if there is something in the way and it will have to make a beeping sound for 3 seconds before it closes.-- My door handles don't retract but I can't remember ever standing there with my hand in the handle of any longer than it takes to open the door. --- I guess if I stood there for awhile thinking "do I really want to open the door? I'm just not sure. I could pull on the handle and open the door but then I'm committing to opening the door and I'm just not sure if I really want to open the door. Honey! Do I want to open the car door?"
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    quadricycle: I'd get the small size if I were you - this will be over quick. "unarmed - lacking weapons or armor; defenseless." Thanks for playing. @zimtheinvader: LOL...
  • gslippygslippy Member Posts: 514
    Gee, I wonder if Tesla ever thought of this.

    Look folks, this has been independently tested many times. Nothing to see here.
  • zhangrenhouzhangrenhou Member Posts: 79
    Donna, I had wondered about that, too. Thanks for finding out. Although, I would have put a glove there instead of my own hand! ;)
  • toddrlockwoodtoddrlockwood Member Posts: 4
    The handle does continue to close, but the handle is attached to the motor with a spring that limits the retraction force. Notice how the handle pops in after she lets go? There is no danger of injury.
  • rock2155rock2155 Member Posts: 20
    Be careful too, if you slam the door on your hand it might hurt too... come on...
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