Tesla is redesigning its door handles to reduce the risk of trapping occupants inside, chief designer Franz von Holzhausen told Bloomberg News on Wednesday.
The announcement follows a new U.S. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a probe into the issue just a day earlier, following a Bloomberg investigation a week ago that detailed cases of Tesla owners and passengers getting stuck in vehicles after crashes.
China Pressures Carmakers to Rethink Flush Door Handles Amid Safety Concerns
Von Holzhausen did not specify when Tesla decided to redesign the handles. Meanwhile, Chinese regulators are urging carmakers to rethink fully flush door handles over safety concerns, though they have not issued official rules.
Two main problems emerge: Tesla’s electronic locks can fail if the battery loses power, and the cars’ manual releases are often hard to find and use. Tesla is exploring a new system that combines electronic and manual releases into a single button.
NHTSA said it opened its investigation after receiving nine complaints about faulty handles, including four cases where drivers had to smash windows to exit their vehicles.
While Tesla’s manuals include instructions for using external power sources to unlock doors, NHTSA noted that affected drivers did not receive battery warnings, leaving them unaware of the cause.
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