Tesla to Redesign Door Handles Over Safety Concerns
The American automotive manufacturer Tesla intends to alter the design of its vehicle door handles as a result of reports concerning injured passengers having been trapped in their cars after accidents. The company's head designer Franz von Holzhausen confirmed that some changes are already in the works.
Investigation Triggers Redesign
The redesign was set in motion by the NHTSA's prompt investigation. This development is over a Bloomberg report that details some cases having to do with owners and passengers being unable to leave a vehicle after a collision.
Core Specifications Defined by Current Design Flaws
As per the reports, Tesla has discovered the following two-pronged issues with the current door handle system:
- Power Dependency: The handles are equipped with electric locks and become dysfunctional if the power is cut from the battery.
- Inaccessible Manual Override: Usually, a car has mechanical unlock features. However, passengers reportedly find it tough to locate it and inconvenient to use during emergencies.
Customer Complaints and a Possible Solution
So far, the NHTSA has received a total of nine complaints from Tesla owners regarding the vehicle door handles. Four of those motorists resorted to smashing windows to escape. Possible reports mentioned that one of the options Tesla is weighing is to make the electronic and manual systems switchable through a single button.
Existing Emergency Procedures Problems
Tesla's owner's manual currently shows different ways of connecting external power to the door locks. However, the NHTSA mentioned that several of these cases were where owners did not get warnings that their batteries were low or did not pay any attention to them and could not understand why their doors were not opening.
