Ever since Tesla has started integrating software into its vehicles, there has been a lot of focus on the inside of the vehicles. Of course, this doesn’t mean people aren’t discussing how incredibly quick Tesla cars are off the line. But people are discussing the capabilities of the vehicle’s infotainment system at length. We have already talked about the display and features that Tesla has filled up inside the infotainment system, with the central touchscreen at its heart.
However, one YouTuber, who goes by the name TechRax, decided that he wanted to test the durability of this screen. Not only that, but he also wanted to check whether one can drive the vehicle after having smashed its screen. And so he did that.
The Experiment
The vehicle he chose was a 2021 Model 3. The entire idea of the experiment was to test the central touchscreen’s durability. He started the vehicle and started driving at a very low speed, around 5-6 mph (8-10 kph). He divided the blows into light hits and medium blows before going on actually smash the screen using a hammer.
When he began striking the screen lightly, there was a little flicker of the screen at every blow. But there were no cracks or any issues with the functioning of the display. As he moved on to slightly medium-level blows, there was a distortion in the display at one location. Amazingly enough, the screen still worked, and he could start the navigation, although he needed to apply extra pressure than before.
Finally, he began actually striking the screen really hard, and this is when things started happening. After around 5-6 blows, the screen gave way and it developed a crack. Further blows on and around this crack damaged the screen even more, with the cracks widening quickly. After roughly half of the screen had developed cracks, the display went blank. And some more blows saw it turn red and blue in certain spots, clearly indicating the irreparable damage that had been caused.
Driving the Vehicle with a Damaged Screen
There were no problems with driving the vehicle. Later on, he peeled off the screen to reveal some plastic part behind it, possibly the mount for the screen. After a while, they drove the vehicle into a parking spot and decided to wait for around 30 minutes. They then decided to see if the vehicle still works properly even without the touchscreen. It did. And with the Tesla app giving access to things like climate control and music, the vehicle was functioning quite normally without the central touchscreen.
He finally took the vehicle to a dealership to get it repaired. Changing the entire screen unit cost around $1,477, which according to him, is a decent price.
You can watch the entire video here:
This is by far the best test to doubters who have fear as to the abilities of this car. To destroy things while still driving is a shure way to show folks that the cars extra features can be disabled and the car keeps on going. More of these please. Well worth the cost of trying to defeat the system to show the robust ability, built in. Great job.
That wasn’t a 2021 model