Tesla Redesigns Door Handles to Improve Safety

Tesla is redesigning its vehicle door handles to combine electronic and manual door-release mechanisms, making it easier to open doors in emergencies. This comes after incidents where people were injured or died due to difficulty opening the doors. The redesign aims to improve safety and user experience.

Tesla Inc. is working on a significant redesign of its vehicle door handles, aiming to enhance safety and user experience, particularly in emergency situations. The new design will combine electronic and manual door-release mechanisms into a single, more intuitive system.

The decision to redesign the door handles comes in response to recent safety concerns. A Bloomberg News investigation revealed incidents where people were injured or died due to difficulties in opening doors after a loss of power, particularly after crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received over 140 consumer complaints related to door malfunctions since 2018 Tesla Is Redesigning Door Handles That Drew Scrutiny Over Safety^[1].

Tesla’s longtime design chief, Franz von Holzhausen, stated that the new design will combine the electronic and manual door-release mechanisms into one button, making it easier for occupants to open doors in a panic situation. This redesign is part of Tesla's broader effort to address safety issues and improve post-crash rescue protocols.

The NHTSA has opened an investigation into whether some Tesla doors are defective, focusing on an estimated 174,290 Model Y SUVs from the 2021 model year. The probe will assess the reliability of the power supplies used for door locks and the overall approach to power management Tesla Is Redesigning Door Handles That Drew Scrutiny Over Safety^[1].

The redesign is also being studied in China, where a top regulator is reportedly considering a ban on fully concealed door handles. Tesla is prepared to make necessary changes to comply with any regulations Tesla Is Redesigning Door Handles That Drew Scrutiny Over Safety^[1].

While Teslas generally perform well in government-administered crash tests, these tests primarily measure impact survivability rather than the ability of occupants to exit the vehicle after a crash. The new door handle design aims to address this gap, ensuring that occupants can quickly and safely exit the vehicle in emergency situations.

References
Tesla Is Redesigning Door Handles That Drew Scrutiny Over Safety^[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-17/tesla-is-redesigning-door-handles-that-drew-scrutiny-over-safety