GoKawiilis transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.
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Tesla’s electronic door handles that have been linked to several deaths could lead to tougher safety rules for the entire auto industry.
In a notice published today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that complaints about Tesla’s mechanical door release don’t warrant a defect investigation. Instead, the issue is better addressed through a broader rulemaking that would “mandate a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles,” the safety regulator said. If finalized, all new vehicles would be subject to the new requirements.
Tesla’s door handles, which operate electronically and sit flush against the vehicle for improved aerodynamics, have been linked to several incidents in which people have been trapped inside their vehicles. In several incidents, Tesla passengers who survived the initial crash later sustained serious injuries or died after being trapped inside a burning vehicle.
China’s government banned electronic door handles for safety reasons earlier this year. And NHTSA has been investigating instances in which Tesla’s handles become inoperable as a result of low-voltage battery problems.
The notice was published after Kevin Clouse, a Silicon Valley engineer, filed a petition requesting a defect investigation to address allegations that “the emergency egress controls for the mechanical door release are not readily accessible and clearly identifiable.” Clouse filed the petition after experiencing the door failure during a crash:
The Petitioner stated that following a head-on collision, the MY 2022 Tesla Model 3 suffered a total loss of electrical power and caught fire. Due to the loss of power, the electric door handles became inoperative. The Petitioner stated he was unable to locate the mechanical door handle, forcing him to climb into the back seat and exit the vehicle through a rear passenger window.
NHTSA denied the petition, but said a broader rulemaking was warranted.
That said, don’t expect any immediate changes to the rules for electronic door handles. The rulemaking process can take anywhere from two to five years on average, meaning any new requirement wouldn’t likely emerge until 2030 or later. The auto industry also has been known to push back strongly against new rules that impose additional costs, such as they did with a new proposal to require more robust automatic emergency braking. Congress has also weighed in, introducing legislation that would require manual door releases in new cars and means for first responders to gain access to vehicles when power is lost.
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