Tesla has bad and good news for countries where people drive on the left. The bad news is that the Model S and Model X are no longer available as a right-hand drive version in those countries. The good news is that you get a nice free accessory with your new car.
The fact that the Model S and Model X are no longer built as a right-hand drive version will not have been received with great enthusiasm in countries such as Great Britain, Australia, Ireland, Japan, Malta and South Africa. Because driving on the left with a left-hand drive version is quite difficult. Not only because you have a less clear view of other traffic, but also because you have to get out at toll gates and barriers and walk around the car. At least, if you are on the road without a passenger.
Behold, ‘The Reacher’
To accommodate customers, Tesla has come up with a solution. The American manufacturer has invented ‘The Reacher’. That’s a folding pliers with a telescopic arm for all cases where you can’t count on a passenger’s arm. For now, the accessory is only available in Great Britain.
Peage
The Reacher is in fact a kind of waste grabber, with which you can, for example, pull the tickets from the machine at the Péage in France, or put your credit card in a payment device. You can also press a button with it, or hold entrance badges in front of the entrance of companies or marinas. The Reacher seems less suitable for receiving milkshakes and soft drinks at fast food chains with a Drive-through.
Tesla plaid
The Tesla Model X and S, which are only available as a left-hand drive version, have also been available with a ‘yokesteering wheel, which has a square shape. Both models are also available as a ‘Plaid version’. This variant has, among other things, three electric motors on board of more than 400 hp each. This brings the system power to 1,020 hp, good for an acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 2.1 seconds. With that you pull out every Porsche 911 Turbo S and even a Bugatti Chiron at the traffic light.
British owners already get The Reacher for free with their purchase. Still, not everyone is thrilled. Some call it a poor plaster on the wound. You think it’s a joke, but then it turns out to be serious. And it is also a bit of mocking your own customers.
Others call it a brilliant Tesla idea. They predict that the product will be sold out in no time if it were to be offered in the Tesla Shop.
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