Tesla door handles may trigger new US safety rules

US regulators will consider developing new requirements for automakers to ensure drivers and passengers are able to exit their cars safely. The new rulemaking, outlined in a regulatory filing and first reported by Bloomberg, follows a series of incidents, including fatal ones, in which people became stuck inside cars with electronically operated flush door handles like those found in Tesla vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made the announcement in response to a petition asking the agency to open an investigation into a safety flaw in the design of the emergency mechanical door release in 2022 Tesla Model 3 vehicles. The petition argued that the door release does not comply with federal motor vehicle standards.

NHTSA denied taking the action the petitioners wanted, saying it was better to address the problem through rulemaking rather than investigating defects.

If the agency adopts new rules, all automakers will have to follow them. However, it is important to note that “beginning” rulemaking does not mean that new rules will be developed, according to NHTSA.

“NHTSA received a petition for rulemaking requiring an emergency door exit system to address the risk of occupants becoming trapped in vehicles during a power outage, and the agency has approved this petition,” the agency explained in an email statement. “Granting a rulemaking petition is not a decision by NHTSA to issue a new safety standard, but rather begins the process of gathering input to make an informed decision. NHTSA will collect additional information and data, and seek public comment, to determine whether a rulemaking for a new safety standard is appropriate under the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act.”

The decision comes less than a year after the NHTSA opened an investigation into Tesla’s door handles after receiving nine reports from owners who were unable to get into their cars, sometimes with children still inside. The investigation followed Bloomberg’s own investigation into a series of incidents in which Tesla drivers and passengers were trapped inside their cars after a crash.

While Tesla cars have a manual door unlock feature, it is only found inside the car. In a preliminary review by NHTSA, investigators found that the handles may not work if the electronic door locks do not receive enough voltage from the vehicle’s battery system.

Tesla designer Franz von Holzhausen said last year that the company was working on redesigning its door handles. Rivian said last year that it had changed the interior door handle design on its R2 SUV to place the manual version in a more prominent location, closer to the electrically operated door handles.

This article has been updated to include a statement from NHTSA.