Regulatory Scrutiny of Tesla’s Door Handles

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla after a Bloomberg report highlighted a safety issue with the automaker’s electric door handles. The report suggested that a failure of a vehicle’s low‑voltage battery could render the handles inoperable, potentially trapping occupants during an emergency such as a crash.

Tesla’s Response and Design Direction

In response, Tesla design head Franz von Holzhausen appeared on Bloomberg’s Hot Pursuit! podcast to discuss the company’s plans. He indicated that Tesla is working on a new approach that merges the electronic release with a manual mechanism into a single button. "The idea of combining the electronic one and the manual one together into one button, I think, makes a lot of sense," von Holzhausen said. He did not provide a specific timeline or detailed specifications for the redesign.

Context of Ongoing NHTSA Investigations

This focus on door handles comes as Tesla is already under NHTSA scrutiny for other safety matters. Earlier in the year, the regulator opened an investigation into how Tesla reports crashes involving its Autopilot and Full Self‑Driving (FSD) systems. Tesla attributed inconsistencies in those reports to a system error that it has since corrected, but NHTSA indicated it would continue its probe.

Implications for Tesla Owners and the Industry

The potential redesign of the door handles underscores the challenges automakers face when integrating advanced electronic features with traditional safety expectations. If Tesla implements a combined electronic‑manual release, it could address the specific safety concern raised by NHTSA while preserving the convenience of its current design.

Looking Ahead

While Tesla has not disclosed when the new handle design will be available, the discussion on Bloomberg suggests that the company is actively addressing the regulator’s concerns. Stakeholders, including current and prospective owners, will be watching for further updates on the redesign and any additional findings from the NHTSA investigation.

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