Tesla to redesign door handles after NHTSA probe

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into Tesla after reporting that some of the automaker’s electric door handles can stop working if a vehicle’s low-voltage battery fails. That failure could create a safety hazard by preventing occupants from opening doors in an emergency.

Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen told Bloomberg’s Hot Pursuit! podcast that the company is considering a redesign that merges the electronic and manual release mechanisms into a single control. “The idea of combining the electronic one and the manual one together into one button, I think, makes a lot of sense,” he said.

This redesign comes amid increased NHTSA scrutiny of Tesla — the agency is also investigating how Tesla reports crashes involving Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems — making the timing notable.

What changed

• Issue: Electric door handles may fail if a vehicle’s low-voltage battery dies, possibly trapping occupants.
• Tesla response: Planning a redesign to combine electronic and manual releases.
• Context: NHTSA has been investigating other Tesla safety and reporting issues earlier this year.

Quote

“The idea of combining the electronic one and the manual one together into one button, I think, makes a lot of sense,” — Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla design head (Bloomberg Hot Pursuit!).

Sources

• Bloomberg Hot Pursuit! podcast (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZJZP9VqUZE
• Additional reporting: AInvest coverage

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