There is always something to do at Tesla. Isn’t CEO Elon Musk possible? an obscene reward receives, it is the dangerous door handles that dominate the headlines. Criticism of electric door handles is increasing.
Research into electric door handles
The American one National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into the electric handles in September after several complaints were received about door handles refusing to operate. A major risk, as became apparent a few weeks ago when a German man and two of his children died after a Tesla caught fire in a very violent accident. A bystander tried to open the doors to free the family from the burning wreckage, but was unable to do so.
Nine complaints were the initial reason for the NHTSA to investigate the Tesla door handles, and seven more have now been added. Refusing door handles are not always the cause of a crash. In a number of cases, the doors no longer opened after the voltage in the 12V battery dropped too far. Not such a problem for adults, because there is a mechanical emergency lever inside, but small children cannot open it.
Government requests Tesla to release internal information
The US government is now requiring Tesla to release all information and complaints about incidents involving these door handles so that it can be investigated how serious this problem really is. The RDW also sounded the alarm earlier. The National Road Transport Agency is urging European policymakers for better rules for electric door handles. The last word has not yet been said on this.