Tesla recently canceled production of right-hand-drive (RHD) variants of the Model S and Model X in the UK and other countries. Its solution for customers in Britain who still need to reach out of the right-hand side of the car is both comical and questionable. It’s called The Reacher and it’s exactly what you think it is… but with Tesla branding.
The Californian EV maker made the choice back in May of this year to axe production of right-hand drive versions of the Model S and Model X in an effort to streamline production and improve quality. Customers with a RHD Model S or Model X order had three options; cancel their order, get a RHD Model Y or Model 3 with a £2,000 credit, or get a LHD version of the car they’d already ordered.
In fact, Tesla held test drive events for nearly a month, ending today, June 30th, in an effort to let reservation holders confirm whether or not a LHD car would work for them personally in everyday tasks. Contrary to other reports, Tesla didn’t force anyone to buy anything as one new Model X owner pointed out on Twitter.
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What it did do is offer a new accessory called ‘The Reacher’ to help those in the LHD cars with access to things on the right-hand side of the car. As some users online have already demonstrated, the tool enables them to grab food (though we wonder about drinks) from a drive-thru window, insert key cards, and more without having to get out of the car.
There’s no doubt that this isn’t the most practical solution for British roads, it’s one step better than some other automakers that sell only LHD models in markets that drive on the left side of the road. Will Tesla Model S and Model X owners actually keep up with The Reacher and use it every day? Maybe.
Even if they don’t, there’s a decent chance that they could sell it online for a pretty penny. Tesla’s low-volume novelty items tend to go for more on the second-hand market than they initially cost from the automaker.