Tesla is once again at the center of a security debate. Like the news agency Bloomberg
According to reports, the mother of an accident victim who died near Boston in October has filed a lawsuit against the automobile company. The subject of the lawsuit are the electric doors that Tesla installs in its models – and whose malfunction can be life-threatening.
The lawsuit contains recordings of the emergency call made by the plaintiff’s 20-year-old son. As he was trapped in his burning Tesla Model Y after the accident, he pleaded on the phone for help, saying: “I can’t get out. Please help me.” According to the prosecution, the young man was unable to open the doors after the vehicle caught fire. He died a short time later from smoke inhalation and severe burns, and his body was later found in the back seat. The plaintiffs accuse Tesla of causing the situation through defective technology.
More than 15 deaths in the past ten years
Bloomberg reports that this is not an isolated case. Similar procedures are also underway in other US states. In the past ten years there have been at least 15 deaths in which occupants or rescue workers were unable to open the doors of crashed Teslas.
The vehicle’s electric door system is problematic. Tesla cars have two batteries. A low-voltage battery that powers interior functions such as windows, doors and touchscreen, as well as a high-voltage battery for the drive. If the low-voltage battery fails after an accident, doors, windows and screens will no longer work. Although mechanical emergency openings exist, many drivers and passengers do not know where they are or how to use them.
A top Tesla executive said in September that the company was working on a door handle redesign. In December, Tesla updated its website to say that if a serious accident is detected, the hazard lights would turn on and the doors would automatically unlock for emergency access. However, critics doubt whether these measures are enough.
China recently banned hidden door handles
The US Transportation Safety Board recently initiated an investigation into possible safety defects in certain models. There is also in the USA a proposed law that would require manual door openings. Stricter regulations are also being prepared in Europe.
In China Concealed door handles have already been banned. The change, which will come into force on January 1, 2027, will apply to all cars sold in China from then on. With the change, China could set a trend in motion as the world’s largest car market. The new requirement states that car doors must be able to be opened mechanically from the inside and outside, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced.