Tesla design features that could potentially kill their drivers make me nervous. Like the way the Cybertruck gas pedal can get stuck at full throttle. A little nerve-wracking.
A motoring enthusiast recently took his Cybertruck out to a local California drag strip, wanting to experience all 845 horses powering the Tesla. While Jose Martinez waited at the start line, the Cybertruck ‘unintentionally accelerated’ without the driver doing anything. Jose slammed on the brakes and shut the car down.
Gosh, just imagine if this vehicle was at the end of an 11 second quarter-mile run, doing 119 mph (191 km/h). No way Jose would have slowed it down in time to avoid disaster.
When Martinez got out and inspected the vehicle, he found the Cybertruck’s stylish-looking but cheaply-built gas pedal cover had come loose and wedged itself against the floor, holding the throttle wide open.
Here’s the viral video he shot.
Car companies should not make changes to established functions for the sake of design. For example, Tesla uses a touchscreen instead of a gear shift lever. In any car with a stuck-open throttle, the driver would just push the gear shift forward into neutral and the acceleration is over.
But the gear selection on the Tesla is on screen only, and does not follow the standardized P-R-N-D-L sequence. In its virtual gearshift forward is drive back is reverse; opposite to every automatic transmission made in the past 75 years. I’d be nervous about remembering that detail during a panic attach when the throttle sticks open.
The futuristic look of the Cybertruck is like a DeLorean and an F150 had a baby, and has taken new vehicle design in a new direction. But function is always more important than form, especially when safety is at stake.. The fact that a car company like Tesla doesn’t acknowledge this makes me very nervous.
