One Of Tesla's Most Controversial EV Features Is Thankfully Getting A Redesign

According to industry reports, there have been numerous recorded incidents of people being stuck inside Teslas due to not knowing how to manually open the electric door handles. Since several of these resulted in horrific injuries, one of Tesla's most controversial EV features is thankfully getting a redesign. Speaking on a Bloomberg podcast, Tesla's chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, explained that the company aims to combine mechanical and electronic door release mechanisms to make it easier for occupants to exit quickly.

This has even prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to launch a preliminary evaluation into the incidents where people were not able to open the doors from the outside if someone was stuck inside. Similar issues have also been noted in China, where regulators are reportedly considering banning flush door handles altogether. Here is everything you need to know about these door handles and how futuristic design can affect safety.

Electric vehicle design treats aerodynamics as a very important factor since it directly affects how efficient a car can be. With handles tucked in flush with the rest of the car's body, it improves, albeit marginally, the car's drag coefficient. Tesla, like many other brands, incorporated this design into all of its cars, but it resulted in flaws that left people stranded, either due to the door handle getting stuck or because it needed electricity to operate.

In order for it to pop out, the car needs to recognize the driver approaching the vehicle or pressing the unlock button manually. However, when pressing the presented handle, it does not open mechanically. The system works by sending an electronic signal to an actuator or a solenoid to unlatch the door. Even though all of these vehicles have interior emergency door opening mechanisms, they are often difficult to understand in times of emergency since most people aren't familiar with how to use them.

It's worth mentioning that the existing door handle mechanisms across different Tesla models are not the same. The Model S and the Model X pop in and out, while the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 flip out when pressed. For the former two, opening the doors with no power requires occupants to pull up the door handle located above the window switches. 

What's even more disturbing is that, to open the rear Falcon doors on a Model X with no power, occupants would have to remove speaker grills to pull a cable. The Model 3 and the Model Y have the same manual interior lever for the front doors, while the rear ones require pulling a safety cable located in the rear door pockets. The big problem arises when wanting to open the doors from the outside since there are no manual latches you can operate. 

The way to do so is to gain access to the car's front trunk and use a jumper pack to restore power. In the event of an emergency, smashing the windows and opening the door from the inside is also an option, but be sure to do so carefully and only when absolutely necessary. Even though Tesla started this trend, it looks like it might also be the first automaker to abandon it altogether.