Secret Latch On Bottom of Model 3 Highland Door

I saw a video from @TeslaJoy on X.com showing a latch on a Model 3 Highland door, and she was wondering what it is used for. The latch on the door lines up with a crevice on the car, so it appears that this latch will attach to the car door when it is shut.

Elon Musk is big on first principles thinking, so I did two things. First, I thought why Tesla would put a latch on the door and what it attaching to the door would do. I realized this was likely a feature for safety to make sure the door would stay shut and very solid in the event of an accident or extreme force.

Tesla adding this latch for crash safety seems like the logical conclusion for me. Tesla vehicles are known for their safety, and Tesla makes safety in their vehicles a top priority. This latch hooking onto the car would help reinforce the door in the event of an accident, in case of a side collision.

An X.com user said that this was a third anchoring point between the door and the car's body, added to improve occupant safety with side-impact crashes. I thought to myself - where is the door latching with the other two anchoring points?

Another X.com user stated that this latch slides in the slot and flips up, which suggest a child lock and/or stabilizing the door by locking it in place. She also, very cleverly, said that this would reduce door rattle during motion and remove instances of mistakenly opened doors.

I love reading about instances like this where Tesla is working on the safety of their vehicles!

You May Also Be Interested In: On lookers shout, "Cybertruck! Cybertruck!" and "Wow, Look at That!" as Cybertruck WOWS at Austin Electric Expo.

Tesla Safety Is Top Priority

Let's talk about Tesla's safety features and why owning a Tesla doesn't just mean owning a cool vehicle that is fast and good for the environment. It also means that you and your loved ones are very protected.

First, Tesla has active safety features in their vehicles. This comes standard and doesn't cost anything extra. For instance, if you are driving too fast and there's a chance you might run into something or rear end another car, Tesla will sound what is called a forward collision warning telling you to slow down immediately.

Second, Autopilot comes standard on every Tesla vehicle and this will drive straight in a lane and slow down for other cars in front of you. You MUST pay attention at all times, however, in case you need to take over. This is not autonomous software, but driver assist software.

Third, if you have the cash to splurge for $199 a month or $12,000 for a one-time cost for your Tesla, you can buy FSD - Tesla's full self-driving system. This will drive you everywhere, but it is still important for you to pay attention at all times in case you need to take over. This software is in beta still and is not yet autonomous.

Fourth, Tesla vehicles are made with high quality materials and especially the Cybertruck is made with code rolled steel. In fact, the Cybertruck is bullet-proof! Elon Musk did multiple cases of testing on the Cybertruck, showing that the steel exoskeleton can withstand a compound bow and a Tommy gun's bullets.

Fifth, Tesla vehicles are incredibly safe and hard to flip over. They have a large battery pack at the bottom of the car, which gives them a good center of gravity. They have structural integrity with a fortified battery, and they have advanced airbags that use software and intelligent decision-making to deploy before a crash to ensure maximum safety.

Sixth, Tesla vehicles have lane departure avoidance. If you are drifting into another lane, your Tesla will beep at you loudly telling you to take over immediately and Tesla, if the option is chosen, will apply corrective lane-steering to get you back in your lane.

Did you know that a tree once fell on a Tesla and the occupants survived!

These active safety features make Tesla vehicles the safest vehicles around!

In Other Tesla News: Electricity shortage coming in 2 years. Utility companies are not read - but Tesla is with THREE things.

Hey @elonmusk what is this tab for at the doors for Highland? Better noise reduction? Softer door close? Both? Or neither? pic.twitter.com/5mSHvYOSLK
— Tesla Joy (@TeslaJoy) November 12, 2023

What do you think about this latch for the Model 3 Highland? Will it keep the car occupants safe in case of an accident?

It would mean so much to me if you would share this article with friends and family and on social media! Thank you so much for your support!

Hi! My name is Jeremy Johnson, and I am a Tesla investor and supporter. I first invested in Tesla in 2017 after years of following Elon Musk and admiring his work ethic and intelligence. Since then, I've become a Tesla bull, covering anything about Tesla I can find, while also dabbling in other electric vehicle companies like Aptera. I cover Tesla developments at Torque News. You can follow me on X.COM or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow my Tesla news coverage. Image Credit, Tesla, Screenshot