When I first learned that Teslas (and almost all other EV's) have electronic only doors, I knew this kind of situation would happen.
I hope this gets laws enacted that force manufacturers to install mechanical latches on all of their vehicles. I know Teslas have manual overrides on their front doors, but the rear doors still have this issue.
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It's like if Titanic not only didn't have enough lifeboats, but instead had no lifeboats, and also everyone was locked in their cabins.
The Titantic was designed to stay afloat long enough to allow everyone to disembark in cohorts on life boats to rescue boats and send the lifeboats back for the rest- it was never intended to fit everyone on lifeboats all at once.
It was that a mix of how telephone operators made more money off personal telegrams than ice warnings, and didnt relay the messages, and how nearby possible rescue ships had gone to bed and turned off their radios meant this process didn't get executed, and how because the iceberg hit the ship, essentially creating a large gash the entire length of the ship, causing the flotation bulwarks to be breached, which is a very rare occurrence, caused so much death.
In Tesla's case, that much aforethought hasn't been taken.
In this case, they have lifeboats (apparently), they were just all hidden down in the ship somewhere (apparently).
I hope this gets laws enacted that force manufacturers to install mechanical latches on all of their vehicles.
Considering Musk's love affair with the incoming administration, I wouldn't bet on it for the next 4 years (hopefully)
In fact I'd be happy to just have the NHTSA avoid being dismantled in the next 4 years
Just how California had laws that effectively forced automakers to make nationwide changes, Europe can still mandate this and it may end up here regardless.
The cybertruck is already illegal here in the EU since it doesn't comply with pedestrian safety laws.
When I first learned that Teslas (and almost all other EV’s) have electronic only doors
I really just want a regular car with an EV power train. Don't to change a bunch of shit on the car, unless it is germane to its function as an EV. Things like doors, instrument clusters, turn signals, infotainment, HVAC controls, shifting (e.g. park, reverse, drive) should be the same as any other vehicle.
The model Y has mechanical emergency door openers in the front. Not in the rear. It complains about possibly breaking window trim when you use them.
They are not super obvious though and you’d have to know in an emergency.
Yeah the releases in the 3 and Y aren’t too bad. Most people use them by mistake once or twice (and get the warning about window trim).
The X however is unforgivable. You have to pop off the speaker grills to get to them and then the door also weighs a lot and has to be manually lifted upwards.
You have to pop off the speaker grills
Oh yes, the obvious thing to do when trying to escape a fire.
There is a manual override in Tesla cars but the feature is not widely publicized, experts say.
Tesla isn't the only culprit here. Any manufacturer that makes cars with electric doors should be required to also have a prominent and easily reachable manual override, instead of hiding a tiny lever underneath the armrest or on the floor, or behind the person's seat on the pillar somewhere, or any fucking place that isn't where you would expect a door handle to be.
Should just be a law to have a regular fucking door handle, we don't need fancy/electric doors. Telsa's should all be taken off the road with their shitty track record.
What? Regulating Elon's enterpreneuments? In this fine coming year of Trump 2025?
Considering he will be leading a government department he just called "DOGE", along with the rest of Trump, I'd say the USA is royally fucked, Tesla will be the least of their troubles.
You reap what you sow.
Or, you could just have the door handle be the manual override.
It is a laughably easy thing to have the release for the door from the inside be the same kind of mechanical door release we've always done, for obvious safety reasons, and then have a little solenoid which can also trigger the release of the mechanical door release if the computer wants it to open.
The only reason to do it otherwise, and then need a separate manual release handle, is if you are okay with people dying in exactly this fashion so that you can make your shiny thing in the exact shiny way you want to make it.
It is so intuitive, just disassemble the door when the car is on fire.
Killed by the department of efficiency
It's an apt analogue for what we should all expect from the DOGE; burning to death while everyone watches in terror.
This is what it says on their website. Hope you've got the link handy if you're in a crash, and also that you're not in one that doesn't have this...
Are you kidding meeeee
Look it's very simple if you get in a crash and are on fire.
Stop. Drop. Roll. Remove the mat from the bottom of the rear door pocket. Press the red tab to remove the access door. Pull the mechanical release cable forward. Remember that not all Model Y vehicles are equipped with a manual release for the rear doors. Die.
Rolls right off the tongue. If you're still in trouble call 0118 999 88199 9119 725 3.
Not all Model Y vehicles are equipped with a manual release for the rear doors.
I think I see a problem.
Also: that's waaaay too many steps for an emergency. Imagine trying to dismantle the door trim when you have a concussion.
Friendly reminder that everyone should have one of these seatbelt-cutter-window-hammer things in their glovebox
Wouldn’t be a good look for that wankpanzer if a $5 tool from Walmart could bust through its windows. Better call it a Cyber-izer and sell it for $200.
And make it in black or gray so it's impossible to find in an emergency👌
In my neck of the woods a couple weeks ago five people burned to death in a Tesla. Apparently called 911 from inside the car too. No national news on this either.
I can't believe there isn't an NHTSA regulation about manual egress from an unpowered vehicle. This is just bonkers.
There are manual releases but they're hidden. They need to be more obvious because these cars are rented to people and obviously the owners aren't taking the time to figure out where they're at.
I would also think just having secondary power packs in each door would help in the event power is cut to ensure the doors can continue to function for a few minutes while also a speaker could explain how to use the emergency release if none of the doors are working.
All this added complexity and cost isn't worth it to me, manual doors just make sense for so many reasons.
Or, how about this: it’s a door, have it work like every other car door for the last 70 years.
Redesigning stuff to make it “cool” and “futuristic” is fucking stupid and is clearly not safe. Doors have handles, the handles are pulled to open the door. Keep it simple.
What fucking idiot builds fail-deadly electric door controls into a very flammable car
Anything owned by Muskrat
Yeah but mechanical car door handles aren't "Cool." You don't want to have a car that isn't cool, right?
I put two window smashers with seatbelt cutters in my Wife's Model Y for this reason. The back seat door releases are HARD to notice as they are buried in a door pocket. We are getting rid of the car next year for something made by an actual 100 year old car company and not run by a fucking greedy dork.
Always have an emergency tool in your car to break your windows in case this shit happens to you. Even if you're in a car not designed by a god damn moron.
So happy my car is not a tesla.
Any car without manual door locks and handles is a death trap. They should be required by law.
"Fuck elon musk"
Car: "Error: Electronic Lock Malfunction. Please say 'I love Elon Musk' to begin troubleshooting."