U.S. safety regulators are taking steps to reform how car doors and emergency egress systems work. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed it has granted a petition requesting a mandate for a clearer, more reliable door release system across all new motor vehicles.
According to a Bloomberg report, the decision kicks off an official rulemaking process following multiple incidents where drivers and passengers became trapped inside cars after losing electrical power during crashes.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, highlighted the long road ahead, noting:
“It’s very significant that they are going to begin the rulemaking process, since this is the initial step that must be taken to create or modify Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to strengthen areas related to electric doors and egress.”
Brooks added that even with a swift process, a final compliance date for automakers likely won’t arrive before 2030.
How Current Tesla Doors Work and What Could Change
All Tesla models currently feature flush exterior door handles that rely on power from the low voltage battery. Even on the Model 3 and Model Y, where handles look mechanical, pulling them actually triggers an electronic switch. If a crash or power failure disables the low voltage battery, opening doors from the outside becomes impossible for rescuers.
Inside the cabin, setup varies. Front seats feature primary electronic release buttons paired with a separate mechanical lever for emergencies. In the rear, older models rely on electric-only buttons, while newer builds tuck a manual release cable underneath a felt mat in the door pocket.
Any new federal rules will likely force major structural changes to Tesla’s door mechanisms:
Any electronic release will likely also have to function mechanically through the same switch.
Interior door releases will also be required to combine mechanical and electronic mechanisms rather than separating them into different buttons/levers.
Clear, easily accessible emergency releases will be required across all seating rows, front and rear.
Exterior door handles will need to be more obvious and operate mechanically when electrical power fails.
Tesla’s current door handle design and emergency releases have often been the subject of regulatory scrutiny. Clunky door handle mechanisms were likely part of why Tesla sunsetted the Model S and Model X earlier this year. The Model X was particularly complex, requiring passengers to pop off speaker grills, pull hidden cables, and physically push open the heavy falcon wing doors without power assistance.
What’s more, Tesla is also fielding pressure from other major markets like China, which is in the process of banning flush handles, to redesign its door opening mechanisms.
Preempting Rules With Redesigned Handles
Tesla is already taking steps to update its door designs. Chief designer Franz von Holzhausen previously confirmed Tesla has new door handle designs in the works to address safety and usability concerns.
We’re already seeing those changes take shape. The upcoming Cybercab debuted Tesla's new one-button interior door release, which combines electronic and mechanical releases into a single button with different actuation points for each. Externally, the Cybercab swaps flush handles for a door-opening button on the B-pillar.
It’s worth noting that “commencing” rulemaking doesn’t guarantee that any new rules will actually be adopted, and finalizing new standards takes years. Furthermore, there’s no indication yet of how any new rules that come out of this process would impact existing vehicles on the road, leaving it uncertain whether automakers like Tesla would eventually be required to retrofit millions of older vehicles with new door opening mechanisms.
