China has become the first nation to require a change to make it easier to rescue people from car crashes: Car doors must be able to open from either side mechanically, like by lifting a handle.
The rules, which go into effect in 2027, follow international scrutiny of a futuristic design first popularized by Tesla, but adopted by many other automakers, in which door handles are electrically powered and hidden. They lie flush with the vehicle’s exterior until they detect an approaching driver and pop out. They were embraced by automakers for both aerodynamic and aesthetic reasons, but introduced a new kind of vulnerability: They can malfunction after a crash or a battery failure.
As Bloomberg News detailed in an investigative report in September, Tesla’s electrically-powered doors could become impossible to open from the outside in an emergency, forcing responders to break windows to extract survivors.
Are all the reporters stupid or I am? All fairly modern cars will lock doors automatically at certain speed (~10km/h?). In case of a crash you will not be able to open them from the outside. You can still open the door from the inside. Some recent models have additional safety mechanisms that will unlock the door automatically in case of crash but most cars don’t.
I believe the issue is that with Tesla style door the opening mechanism is electric, not mechanical. In case of a crash you lose power and can’t open the door FROM THE INSIDE.
Why they keep talking about ‘hidden handles’ preventing rescuers from opening the doors when the issue seams to be electric-powered doors preventing passengers from escaping? Or am I missing something here?
Even with slightly buckled frame, the handle is the first thing people grab to try to pull open your door. With visible handles crowd of 3-4 people can force a door open, emergency services can do it as well. With recessed handles even at the slightest buckle on the frame there is no point across the door to get a good grip on, so you can’t pull it open without something to hold against, you have to wait for special equipment.
The regulation also makes automatic unlocking if the airbags go off mandatory.
I guess that’s for all the cars which confirms that the issues is unrelated to hidden handles.
the internal manual unlocking mechanism for teslas is behind a panel that requires tools to remove
In some models, yes. Again, that has nothing to do with flush handles.