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How Do Tesla Model X's Falcon Doors Deal with Snow? Surprisingly Well, Actually

The falcon doors are arguably the coolest feature of Tesla's first and, to this date, only electric SUV. Sure, we've seen it accelerate like a horse with a chili pepper rectal situation, but it's really the multi-hinged doors that set the Model X's apart.
Tesla Model X in the snow 1 photo
Photo: Instagram
Of course, it couldn't have all been peachy for the EV, so it's the same doors that caused it most of its problems. We've covered everything in detail, including the issues with the initial supplier that led to the postponement of its launch, so we won't go through them once more. The important thing is that over this past year, Tesla has constantly been working on how to solve those problems, so the car is pretty much fault-free at the moment. Well, at least that's what Tesla claims.

Winter and the cold weather that comes with it are the natural enemies of electric vehicles. As you've probably noticed yourself with your smartphone, as soon as the temperatures start dropping below a certain threshold, the batteries in all electronic devices perform more poorly.

The Tesla Model X, on the other hand, had extra reasons to worry about the snowy season. Just think of the way the falcon doors open, and you can begin to imagine what that is. While most people who own Teslas keep them inside a garage, not all have this luxury. And even those who do can't take the garage with them everywhere they go, so sooner or later, the electric SUV will come face to face with the snow. Or, even worse, a freezing rain.

How will the doors cope with that? Well, Instagram user landry974 provides us with an answer, even though the layer of snow was quite thin. Had the Model X been buried under a foot or more of snow, the doors would have probably had more trouble operating as they would have to sandwich a large quantity of snow in between them.

And while some users think it's great that they can hide from the rain under the open doors while they load or unload something from the car, it's equally true that due to their design at the top, they are prone to letting snow in as they open.

Our advice is to take advantage of the smartphone app and pre-heat and defrost the car before you set off, as demonstrated in the second video. It takes 20 minutes or so, but just think about the moment you drop in that heated seat, and it'll be all worth it.


 

Snow + winter + Tesla = Perfect match! #teslax #tesla #teslafan #tesla75d #elonmusk

A video posted by Landry (@landry974) on Dec 2, 2016 at 9:24pm PST


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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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