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.
Last year, Tesla said it would redesign its electronic door handles, though it didn’t say on what timeline. In an interview with Bloomberg, Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen said that the company is looking to make the handles more intuitive for occupants in “a panic situation.”
That’s cold comfort for the families of the victims who already lost their lives. Andrew McDevitt, who represents families in two of the fatal cases involving Tesla vehicles, called on NHTSA to move swiftly through the rulemaking process to develop and implement new federal safety standards to protect future vehicle occupants.
“Since the release of the Model S, Tesla has repeatedly received reports from consumers that its doors trap occupants in every situation from supermarket parking lots to serious crashes,” McDevitt said in a statement. “It is hard to understand how Tesla continues to justify releasing such dangerously designed vehicles. These families deserve justice, and we will keep pursuing their cases in court.”