A Tesla Model X owner from London, UK has been spotted driving his large electric SUV with an open falcon-wing door. As he leaves the roadside parking with this opened door which was lifted up in the air, he hits an oncoming double-decker bus within a quarter-mile distance of this short drive.
This is an interesting situation as it is almost impossible that the driver was unaware of the door being opened while he started driving the car — because of common sense and the warnings and alarms, a Model X triggers in such a situation.
Let’s first look at what this guy has done and we will be further analyzing this situation.
Fortunately, this open falcon-wing door did not hit a pedestrian or penetrated through the windscreen of the passenger bus, no one was harmed in this incident.
Cars in the UK drive on the left side of the road, this opened door was just behind the driver driving from the right side (RHD). He might have missed the immediate view behind his seat even after pulling to the right side to come out of the parallel parking. He also must have looked in the side view mirror but still couldn’t catch the very door elevated in the background.
Looking at this viral video and the situation, this Model X owner might face some difficulties claiming insurance. His insurance cost can also go up after the insurance company is able to see that this damage was the result of the driver’s ignorance.
Because of the unique design and functionality, a Model X falcon-wing door is a super-expensive part of this car. The door replacement cost might be between $10k – $20k apiece. Due to supply shortage issues, the UK location, and the current pause on Model X production, the delays in the delivery of this falcon-wing door might stretch from weeks to even months.
Back in 2018, another Model X owner totaled a Falcon Wing door on her vehicle while trying to exit the garage with the door in the open state. Both of these incidents do seem to be the result of a hurry and impatience.
This video is quickly becoming viral in both the pro and anti-Tesla communities. The anti clan (aka TSLAQ) will try to use this video against the automaker and how a Model X can be dangerous for road users.
But, the fact of the matter is that the nags, on-screen warnings, and sound alarms that the Model X throws at the driver and occupants in this kind of situation cannot be ignored easily. Also, a big wide door opened upwards above a Model X is pretty visible and hard to forget and left open — duh!
Stay tuned for constant Tesla updates, follow us on:
Google News | Flipboard | X (Twitter) | RSS (Feedly).