40 °C ist zum Wahrsager geworden. Hier wird eine Zusammenstellung der sechs "menschenfeindlichen" Entwürfe von Elektromobilen vorgenommen.

Recently, continuous high temperatures in many parts of the country have made many car owners complain bitterly.

For those with mild symptoms, when they open the car door, they have to endure the "baptism" of the heat wave and the temperature of the seat cushion that can "fry an egg." For those with severe symptoms, they are the new energy vehicle owners with panoramic glass sunroofs on their heads. For example, Mr. Lin, the owner of a Tesla Model Y, said, "When I got into the car in the morning, I felt a splitting headache as if my skull was being directly roasted by the sun. I turned on the air conditioner to the maximum for 20 minutes, but my head was still burning hot."

Picture/Model Y panoramic sunroof Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

What's even more ridiculous is that in the face of Mr. Lin's "brain-burning" situation in summer, the car company's only solution is to "purchase a sunshade curtain separately."

When high temperature becomes a "mirror to expose demons," the defects of the designs on new energy vehicles that are labeled as "high-tech" and "futuristic" are infinitely magnified. From panoramic sunroofs to hidden door handles, from full touchscreens to half-spoke steering wheels, a series of seemingly trendy designs are exposing their shortcomings in daily use.

1. Panoramic Sunroof: From a "Stargazing Room" to a "Sauna Room"

The experience of having a "sauna on the upper body and air conditioning on the lower body" is not unique to Tesla.

Currently, models such as the IM LS6, Zeekr 007GT, XPeng P7, NIO ET5, and Avatr 11 all feature panoramic sunroofs as their main selling points.

Picture/Zeekr 007GT panoramic sunroof Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

"When I was looking at the car, the salesperson said that this glass sunroof would make the interior more transparent, provide an invincible view, and the rear seats wouldn't feel cramped," said Ms. Chen, the owner of an IM LS6, pointing at the huge glass on the roof with a bitter smile. "Now that summer is here, the transparency has turned into a mobile tanning session. When driving at noon, even with the air conditioner on full blast, the glass above my head is still hot enough to fry an egg. My child has to cover their head with a sunscreen jacket the whole time when sitting in the back row."

Picture/IM LS6 Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

What's even more distressing is that long-term exposure to the sun not only turns the car interior into a huge "steamer" but also accelerates the aging of the interior trim.

Many new energy vehicle owners with panoramic sunroofs revealed that due to long-term exposure to the sun, the interior trim materials of their cars, such as the plastic parts on the dashboard and the leather seats, are more prone to cracking, fading, and hardening compared to models without panoramic sunroofs. "My car has only been used for a year, but the interior looks like it's been used for three years. It's so heart-wrenching."

Facing the "test of heat" in summer, some car owners can only accept the car company's suggestion to "purchase a sunshade curtain separately." However, installing a sunshade curtain later not only increases the cost but also spoils the original aesthetics of the sunroof, blocking the original intention of "seeing the blue sky and white clouds as soon as you look up."

Why are car companies so persistent in using panoramic sunroofs?

The root cause may lie in the chassis. It is understood that the battery packs of electric vehicles are all installed at the bottom of the car, with a thickness of about 15 cm on average, which directly squeezes the vertical space inside the car. The appearance of the panoramic glass sunroof can not only effectively solve the problem of the narrow interior but also provide an additional 3 - 5 cm of vertical space compared to traditional fuel vehicles.

Picture/Chassis thickness of new energy electric vehicles Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

Industry insiders believe that although the heat insulation and UV - blocking technology of glass sunroofs have been improving, it is difficult to completely break through the physical laws. Under the scorching sun of 40°C, even the best coating can hardly block all the heat.

"It's understandable that car companies pursue visual impact and a sense of space, but comfort should always be the bottom line."

2. Hidden Door Handles: 70% of Consumers Complain That They Are Difficult to Use

Besides summer, new energy vehicles also have another pain point that consumers complain about in winter - hidden door handles.

Picture/Tesla hidden door handle Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

This design trend can be traced back to Tesla. Initially, it was imitated by many car companies because of its features such as reducing the drag coefficient, increasing the range, and enhancing the appearance. However, now it seems that the slight 3% - 5% increase in range has long been overshadowed by a series of problems.

The "Insight Report on the Anxiety of New Energy Vehicle Users in 2024" released by Autohome shows that 69% of consumers are very anxious about the hidden door handle configuration, worried about its high failure rate and the difficulty of opening the door in winter, which seriously affects the driving experience.

Picture/Anxiety about the design/configuration hidden dangers of new energy vehicles Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

Mr. Wang, the owner of a BYD Han in Beijing, had a typical experience. He recalled that during those days when the temperature dropped to minus ten degrees last winter, his car's door handle was frozen and couldn't pop out normally. "I poured hot water on it and tried to pry it open with my hands. It took me more than ten minutes to get in, and I was late for work."

Picture/BYD Han EV Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

In daily use, complaints about electric door handles pinching fingers and children accidentally touching them, causing the door to fail to close, are also common. These small troubles are gradually wearing down the patience of car owners.

What's even more dangerous is the extreme situation. Take the collision and explosion accident of a Xiaomi SU7 at the end of March this year as an example. After the vehicle lost power, the hidden door handles couldn't pop out, resulting in the doors being unable to open, and ultimately three people died.

Picture/Xiaomi SU7 Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

The much higher maintenance cost compared to traditional door handles also makes consumers suffer a lot.

Incomplete third - party data shows that in the Beijing area, the material cost of the hidden door handle assembly for mainstream models under car companies such as Lynk & Co, BYD, NIO, and Li Auto is quoted at 400 - 1000 yuan, with labor costs calculated separately. While the replacement price of the mechanical external door handles for mainstream fuel - powered models under car companies such as Changan and Geely in the 200,000 - yuan range is generally within 300 yuan.

"I can afford to buy the car but can't afford to repair it. When I went to the after - sales service for a hidden door handle failure, I was told that I needed to replace the entire wiring harness, which cost about 4000 yuan."

"Previously, it only cost about a hundred yuan to repair a traditional door handle. Now that I've switched to a hidden door handle, the cost has increased by more than ten times." Many consumers complained.

3. Full Touchscreen: It Takes Dozens of Seconds to Do What a Physical Button Can Do in 3 Seconds

In fact, the design problems of new energy vehicles are not limited to the "panoramic sunroof" that emerges in summer and the "hidden door handle" that makes it difficult to open the door in extremely cold winter weather.

Currently, many new energy vehicles completely eliminate physical buttons in pursuit of simplicity, a sense of technology, and cost control. They integrate functions such as air - conditioning, media, and seat control onto the central control screen. However, this design is not as convenient in actual use as shown in the car company's promotional videos.

Picture/Tesla full touchscreen Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

The latest "Initial Quality Study of New Cars" released by J.D. Power shows that the infotainment system has become the part that car owners complain about the most in the first three months after taking delivery of the car. The reason is that the central control screen integrates too many functions, complicating the operation of in - car functions.

Picture/The report shows that the problems with touchscreens have increased the most Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

Frank Hanley, the senior director of the automotive evaluation department at J.D. Power, said, "Although large - sized touchscreens are eye - catching, the function operation is a headache. For example, adjusting the air - conditioning or opening the garage door requires sliding and clicking on multiple interfaces."

Mr. Lin, the owner of a Tesla Model Y, had a typical experience. "When it was raining and the front windshield was fogged up, I was in a hurry to defog it. In the past, I just needed to press the defogging button in a traditional fuel - powered car. Now, I have to click on the screen several times, and I have to take my eyes off the road."

Picture/Model Y Source/Internet Screenshot from New Energy View

What's even worse is the situation where the in - car system "malfunctions." Many new energy vehicle owners reported that although new energy vehicles on the market are all equipped with a voice control system, it is not omnipotent. Sometimes, when the in - car system reacts slowly, goes black, or the voice assistant "turns a deaf ear," even adjusting the air - conditioning temperature becomes a luxury.

"The salesperson said that the voice assistant was very convenient to operate when I bought the car. But soon after I took delivery of the car, I found that the in - car system always had a delay. In the end, it was even slower than manually flipping through the pages."

"Last week, I was driving a XPeng P7 on the highway and wanted to turn down the air - conditioning fan speed. But the screen went black, and the voice assistant didn't respond. I was sweating for half an hour."