At least two Teslas catch fire in separate incidents over the weekend (video)

Apparently it will take a few years before Tesla’s autopilot can recognise a horse and before the batteries will be sorted. And then something, something Correct Horse Stable Battery.

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So in 2020 there were 173,000 highway vehicle fires in the US. That’s actually down from 181,500 in 2019, and 459,000 in 1988.

But two Teslas caught fire!! Eleventy.

Elon Musk is a complete asshole, but this is also known as ‘making a big deal out of an anomaly’.

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This has all been one long con to facilitate a lucrative Tesla/SpaceX crossover.

Full Self-Driving Package - $12k
Suit that will allow you to arrive uncaramelized: $20k

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Forever Beta testing, I guess.

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There’s no testing
like Prod testing
like no testing I know!

With apologies to Irving Berlin

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Yes, Teslas also use a 12v battery for everything other than the traction motor.

A good centerpunch will do the job.

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The manual release is intended only for emergencies when the power fails and the normal door pop but isn’t working. In the emergency case, such damage potential is trivial. Designing in a more complex system to also drop the window slightly would both increase the cost and the complexity of the mechanism, making it less foolproof.

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Unless there is an intrinsic design flaw that is only now becoming manifest. Only more time will tell for a definite pattern to emerge. That and maybe a body count.

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Mine did, with a fair bit of detail.

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It’s not a matter of being locked/unlocked. From inside the vehicle (M3 is my point of reference, I understand the Y is the same but am not sure about the X and S) the only step you take to exit under normal conditions is to press a small button on the door handle. This drops the window and “pops” the door open. There’s nothing to unlock. The emergency release does the same thing manually but without the window drop. Still, nothing to unlock.

You wouldn’t want the car to actually open the door in the event of a power failure, for reasons that I’ll presume are obvious.

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It’s both, I think. For example, the late 90s Z3 convertibles don’t do it, but the M coupes do. Same frameless windows. Obviously framed windows don’t require this because the gaskets move with the door.

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Then I really wonder why he couldn’t open the door, even without the emergency release. User error maybe.

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I think the pull quote is from a different post, but I got your meaning.

I think car salespeople really like to focus on the “cool” stuff instead of the boring safety stuff. I remember the sales person really going over the satellite radio and the On Star feature in my car (both of which I wasn’t intetested in keeping), but they didn’t go over setting the tire pressure or where all of my airbags are located. Thank god for the manual.

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Yeah, I’ve had to replace a total of three regulators between the 2 doors of my (relatively) low mileage 1 series. It was a huge pain getting them adjusted properly compared to a normal framed window, but practice makes perfect.

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Subaru used to do frameless windows without dropping the windows for opening. Mine is going on 15 years and 200k+ without leaks or problems. The outside gasket really isn’t necessary unless you’re making a submarine, not a Subaru.

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Sounds about right but I’m a glutton for pain. Maybe it’s quieter on the Autobahn or something?
“Shoulda bought a Honda” is a line we’ve been throwing around for decades, even when standing over a broken Honda.

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The S and I presume the X uses a mechanical-seeming door pull. A normal pull triggers electronic opening, the emergency procedure (so I’m told, I’ve never had to use it in anger) is just “pull harder”.

Sort of, ish. The relationship appears to be more complex than simple outsourcing. E.g., Panasonic manufactures in a Nevada factory that it shares with Tesla, Gigafactory Nevada - Wikipedia.

“Panasonic makes the battery cells at the Gigafactory with the new form factor 2170, jointly designed and engineered by Tesla and Panasonic” blah blah.

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Yah, BMW does it mainly for noise, not leaks. Everyone except Lotus solved leaking windows 50 years ago without exotic gaskets. In an M5 you can practically hear your own heartbeat while doing 160mph. Don’t ask me how I know that. :zipper_mouth_face:

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Necessary, no. Of non-trivial benefit to aerodynamics? Definitely. That’s why it’s done, particularly on an EV.