"Retracting and flush door handles aren't unique to Tesla. Plenty of manufacturers have motorized or electronic handles today. The problem is what happens after a crashspecifically, when the car loses power. A recent investigation by Bloomberg highlighted several crashes in which occupants couldn't find the interior manual door releasesor first responders struggled to open Tesla doors from the outside. A follow-up story by the outlet revealed that at least 15 deaths can be attributed to Tesla's door handles."
"As part of a broad investigation into the risks of electric door handles, Bloomberg attempted to quantify for the first time the number of fatal crashes in the US in which door functionality played a role. This reporting turned up at least 15 deaths in a dozen incidents over the past decade in which occupants or rescuers were unable to open the doors of a Tesla that had crashed and caught"
Flush electronic door handles on many modern cars require power to operate and can fail after a crash when the vehicle loses electrical power. Occupants have struggled to find interior manual door releases, and first responders have sometimes been unable to open exterior doors quickly. An investigation identified about a dozen incidents over the past decade in which door functionality impeded exits, attributing at least 15 deaths to Tesla's electronic handles. The design choice to prioritize minimalism and motorized mechanisms can complicate emergency egress. Widespread adoption of such handles raises safety concerns and emergency-access implications.
Read at insideevs.com
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