[llninja]

This video got over 2M views on YouTube, yet in the first 2 seconds this flaw stuck out like a sore thumb. I know these are prototypes, but at least get the doors and trim pieces right. The front and rear door lower window trim pieces look to be about 1/4 inch off.

Not regretting my TM3 reservation cancellation.

 

[Mister Dave]

Above the charge port here, see how the trunk lid is aligned. A misaligned door can be adjusted. This, I'm not sure. Looks more like misshaped.

Full-size photo is here.

 

[viking79]

I believe the second photo is a pre-production (pre-July) prototype, and I noticed that on a lot of those. I haven't seen the trunk misfit on the production models.

I noticed the trim piece right away too, and immediately thought GM

Anyone who hasn't watch the mentioned review, should watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te6VqldjTT8

That car is going to drive the EV industry forward as much as the Model T did the automobile. Maybe a slight exaggeration since it is a $50k car, but it really is impressive what Tesla has done.

 

[viking79]

Tesla will drive the industry forward in several ways:
1. EVs can be cool
2. OTA updates can be done at home (look at Volt owners being charged $300 for simple SW reflashing and having car in shop for hours)
3. Owning the Supercharger network (others taking field of dreams approach)
4. Autopilot (others were getting their toes wet, Tesla jumped straight in).
5. Customer service, bring car service to owner

They clearly have issues to work through:
1. lack production expertise of GM and other big companies
2. QC not up to snuff yet
3. pricing is still out of reach for most (although $35k model 3 should help a lot)
4. lack capital to develop many vehicles at once (changing)

Really, all they need is a successful ramp of the Model 3 within the next 6 months and I think they stand to grow pretty rapidly. I am curious how increased competition will impact them, but until competitors can address the first few points Tesla really doesn't have competition.

 

[bro1999]

The fact the rear windows barely roll down halfway. Wtf?

 

[Mister Dave]

It was posted in June, yes. You might get some pushback on the term "production model" but whatever. How about a misaligned door in the press kit? I could have fixed that in post, but they didn't.

Full size photo.

https://www.tesla.com/presskit

It's been discussed before - Tesla seems to lack a QC department.

 

[bro1999]

It was posted in June, yes. You might get some pushback on the term "production model" but whatever. How about a misaligned door in the press kit? I could have fixed that in post, but they didn't.

Full size photo.

https://www.tesla.com/presskit

It's been discussed before - Tesla seems to lack a QC department.

Hey, hand built cars are tough. Especially in production hell!

 

[viking79]

The window only rolls partway down due to the door angle slant on the back. This is typical of many cars. The Volt gets away with this by having a divided window. Tradeoffs, my guess is most people won't care about this.

 

[ianjay]

Someone is surprised the rear windows don't roll down all the way? Hundreds of cars have rear windows that do this. In some cars, it is because there isn't enough door to retract the window - in others, it was a deliberate design decision to keep small people from hanging out the window.

 

[llninja]

So the real question... does the Model 3 have homelink? Recall the g2 tirades people had on this forum with the removal of homelink? Instead the model 3 is DICless.

 

[Steverino]

So these were the preproduction test mules that Tesla says they were skipping? Or are these the cars rolling off the production line, no pre-production needed to adjust equipment, QC like "old fashioned" GM?

I noticed the trim piece right away too, and immediately thought GM

In the same area, my Bolt EV looks perfect, all my lines do.

The window only rolls partway down due to the door angle slant on the back. This is typical of many cars. The Volt gets away with this by having a divided window.

True, but my Bolt's rear window just about makes it all the way down. Quite a difference.

 

[llninja]

@steverino

So does the bolt have homelink? For sure, the Bolt is not DICless.

 

[Upper5Percent]

The fact the rear windows barely roll down halfway. Wtf?

Although some automobile manufacturers claim this to be a safety feature, the real reason behind the rear windows not rolling all the way down in MANY 4 door cars is simply this: there is no space left in the door panel to accommodate the entire unit. This usually happens with cars that have a big chunk of the rear door shaped as the wheel-well, where the curvature prevents the window from sinking all the way into the panel.

And Tesla is just the latest to have the infamous half window...

 

[Upper5Percent]

Tesla will drive the industry forward in several ways:
1. EVs can be cool
2. OTA updates can be done at home (look at Volt owners being charged $300 for simple SW reflashing and having car in shop for hours)
3. Owning the Supercharger network (others taking field of dreams approach)
4. Autopilot (others were getting their toes wet, Tesla jumped straight in).
5. Customer service, bring car service to owner

They clearly have issues to work through:
1. lack production expertise of GM and other big companies
2. QC not up to snuff yet
3. pricing is still out of reach for most (although $35k model 3 should help a lot)
4. lack capital to develop many vehicles at once (changing)

Really, all they need is a successful ramp of the Model 3 within the next 6 months and I think they stand to grow pretty rapidly. I am curious how increased competition will impact them, but until competitors can address the first few points Tesla really doesn't have competition.

Autopilot??
And through their marketing of it...a gentleman hit a tractor trailer and died and Tesla is now be sued over 'dangerously defective' Autopilot software by a group of purchasers of the Autopilot option...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanoh...-functioning-autopilot-software/#399173db2a60
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...erously-defective-autopilot-software-j1qp271l
http://www.autonews.com/article/201...over-dangerously-defective-autopilot-software

Lawsuit in China over Autopilot...
https://www.ft.com/content/80c45ad6-7ef0-11e6-bc52-0c7211ef3198

Autopilot will be an Albatross around Tesla's neck for quite a while...

• Tesla began equipping all of its vehicles with Autopilot Hardware 2.0 in October 2016, claiming the new package would enable full self-driving capabilities.
  
• Now Tesla has quietly begun installing Autopilot Hardware 2.5 on early Model 3 deliveries.
  
• Upon being asked about this switch, Tesla alluded to the possibility that full self-driving capabilities may not be available with Hardware 2.0, and would require and upgrade to Hardware 2.5.
  
• Several key departures from Tesla's Autopilot team in recent months only make the situation more precarious.
  
• There is a possibility Tesla will have to walk back on its self-driving claims for Autopilot Hardware 2.0, and shareholders will have to pay the bill.

On August 9th, Electrek reported that Tesla has began installing a new version of its Autopilot Hardware (dubbed 2.5), into the Model 3.

When asked about this new Autopilot Hardware 2.5 package, Tesla quickly downplayed its significance by responding with the following comment.

"The internal name HW 2.5 is an overstatement, and instead it should be called something more like HW 2.1. This hardware set has some added computing and wiring redundancy, which very slightly improves reliability, but it does not have an additional Pascal GPU."
However, Tesla also added this disclosure, indicating there was a possibility that Autopilot Hardware 2.0 may have to be updated to fulfill its self-driving promise (emphasis mine).

"However, we still expect to achieve full self-driving capability with safety more than twice as good as the average human driver without making any hardware changes to HW 2.0. If this does not turn out to be the case, which we think is highly unlikely, we will upgrade customers to the 2.5 computer at no cost."

Although management is trying to make it seem like there is only a small possibility it will occur, the fact that they disclosed it all is worrisome.

Additionally, with a slew of executive changes on the Autopilot team, there are currently a lot more questions than answers surrounding the state of Tesla's self-driving technology.

 

[Arcanox]

So the real question... does the Model 3 have homelink? Recall the g2 tirades people had on this forum with the removal of homelink? Instead the model 3 is DICless.

I swear I'm not giggling at "DICless"

But yes, m3 has Homelink; I saw a video of the pre-production software that included it. Apparently it can be configured to automatically open/close when you arrive at or leave your destination, but I'm not sure how that part works or how well it works.

 

[bro1999]

Someone is surprised the rear windows don't roll down all the way? Hundreds of cars have rear windows that do this. In some cars, it is because there isn't enough door to retract the window - in others, it was a deliberate design decision to keep small people from hanging out the window.

Not surprised the rear windows don't roll down all the way, but surprised how LITTLE they roll down. Like I said, those windows are not even 2/3rds down. Now add the fact the rear doors in a Model 3 can't be opened manually. In an emergency where there is a total power loss (I dunno, like during a severe accident), rear passengers can't get out via the rear doors....or even crawl out the rear windows. What genius approved that design??

 

[Steverino]

@steverino

So does the bolt have homelink? For sure, the Bolt is not DICless.

See my Bolt Homelink below. It was a $0 option

 

[Cari]

Steverino, I trust that you live in a place where people don't steal "portable homelinks" aka garage door openers. I live in a nice area, but there are reports in my neighborhood where they break into cars, steal the remotes and now have access to your garage and likely home. The best solution (that stays with the car) is homelink where it works only when car is on or a minute or so afterwards. Best solution outside of the car is app on phone that opens garage.

 

[volt spain]

The single screen , requiring peripheral vision to see small numbers,seems not safe during busy driving ... even the small screen in front of the steering wheel in the volt is easier to read then the infotaintment screen...

 

[Steverino]

Steverino, I trust that you live in a place where people don't steal "portable homelinks" aka garage door openers. I live in a nice area, but there are reports in my neighborhood where they break into cars, steal the remotes and now have access to your garage and likely home. The best solution (that stays with the car) is homelink where it works only when car is on or a minute or so afterwards. Best solution outside of the car is app on phone that opens garage.

That's what I like about this option, it's is removable in half a second, something that I can't do with my Volt's homelink system. If they steal the Volt, they can open my garage. Not so with my Bolt.