Tesla door handles may trigger new US vehicle safety rules
Original: Tesla’s door handles may spur new US safety rules
Why This Matters
Potential new NHTSA rules would force all automakers to redesign electronically operated door handle systems.
NHTSA announced it will begin rulemaking to ensure safe vehicle egress, following fatal incidents where people became trapped in cars with flush, electronically operated door handles like those on Tesla models. The move responds to a petition over 2022 Tesla Model 3 door release design.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced it will commence a rulemaking process to establish new requirements ensuring drivers and passengers can safely exit vehicles. The decision follows multiple incidents — including fatal ones — where occupants became trapped in cars equipped with flush, electronically operated door handles, a design prominently used in Tesla vehicles.
The action responds to a petition requesting NHTSA open a safety defect investigation into the emergency mechanical door release on 2022 Tesla Model 3 vehicles, which the petitioners argued does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. NHTSA declined to pursue a defect investigation, stating rulemaking was the more appropriate path. If adopted, new rules would apply to all automakers, not just Tesla. NHTSA cautioned that commencing rulemaking does not guarantee new rules will ultimately be finalized.
This development comes less than a year after NHTSA opened a separate investigation into Tesla door handles following nine owner reports of being unable to enter their vehicles — sometimes with children inside. NHTSA found that handles may fail if electronic door locks receive insufficient battery voltage. Tesla designer Franz von Holzhausen stated last year the company was working on a door handle redesign. Rivian also announced it would reposition the manual release on its R2 SUV for greater visibility.