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?
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.
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.
Heh-heh, now China is just fucking with Tesla.
The state is restricting innovation? This is literally communism!
I never liked those stupid handles, I like that there’s actually a good reason to hate on them
Seems reasonable. Safety should come before beauty. Here’s hoping other places follow suit.
I can’t remember which vehicles, but I’ve seen some cars that have flush handles but are still mechanical. You push on one side and it mechanically pivots the handle out that you grab and pull. So you can still do the exact same thing for beauty standards/aerodynamics, just using a different design philosophy that is probably safer. Maybe it’s rivian I’m thinking of?
I hate the electric toilet flush handles used in Tesla, but I must admit it did feel impressive when I encountered it the first time. I was hitchhiking and was allowed in a car. The door handle was kind of visible but… not really a handle?!
So, I kind of put my hand near it in confusion and “bzzrt”, it came out of the door, allowing me to open the door. It was a cool experience.
Still not one I’d be ready to risk my life for, though.Nah, that’s Tesla’s model 3 and Y.
Well, I guess they saw this legislation coming and are already trying to comply.
They’re not even more attractive when flush.
No not when flush but I think there is a futuristic appeal to the handle “appearing” when it’s in use. I really doubt the aerodynamic benefits are significant, though.
I have a question about this I haven’t been able to answer.
Is the problem the “flushness” or the lack of mechanical linkage to the door latch?
I’ve been in several Teslas, every model but the Cybertruck, and you push on the fat part and the skinny part comes up, which you pull to open. But as I understand it, that just activates an electrical servo or something that unlatches and partially opens the door, and that’s the problem because without power pulling the handle does nothing.
I had a Jaguar F-Type R (I think Range Rovers have the same handles) and it had flush handles that you could set to pop open when you approached, or you could hit a little button on the forward end to pop open the rear end or, like the Tesla, you could push on the forward end to manually raise the rear end and when you pulled on the handle you were mechanically unlatching and opening the door, unlike the Tesla. You could disconnect the battery and still open the door, which as I understand it, you cannot do with a Tesla. Would this be ok?
If it seems far fetched that every news organization keeps talking about flushness when that’s not the problem, I’m willing to entertain it because that’s what happens every time my area of expertise ends up in international news. Whenever my profession, or a related one, is in the news they almost always get it at least a little wrong, and sometimes ridiculously wrong. And they say the same wrong things across all news sources all over the world. I, and others in my group of professions, can see why this happens. They get some basic information but lack context so they interpret it wrong and what comes out is complete nonsense, or at least a little misleading.
This is one of those weird flashpoint issues.
There are two layers to this. One that is a major problem, and one that… isn’t.
The former is exactly what you identified. The door latches are all purely electric. This leads to the very regular occurrence where someone’s swasticar updates while they are inside of it on a hot day. And their only choice is to sit and roast or to rip open their trim to try to find the manual release. THIS should be 500% illegal but basically no countries actually care.
The other is the flush door handles. Some fatalities have been attributed to them. But the reality is? A door that just got slammed into by a giant pick-up truck ain’t opening. And you gots to be a mother rescuing her baby to get a firm grip on most door handles when the car is on fire.
Yes, flush door handles are a deeply stupid idea and always will be. But the reality is that people REALLY need to keep window smashers in their cars. Like, easily accessible by the front and back seat occupants.
Because if that car is on fire? You ain’t getting a grip on that handle one way or the other. You MIGHT be able to smash a window and drag someone out. Same with a car that is rapidly submerging in water. Even with mechanical handles, NOBODY has the strength to open that door after a shockingly small amount of water. So you are either sitting there waiting for pressure to equalize or you are smashing that window and getting the hell out.
At which point? Flush door handles are still idiotic design. And electric only door controls SHOULD be illegal. But if you actually care about emergencies? Get a god damned hammer for like 30 bucks. Or even just tape a spark plug to your keys.
You can get a spring-loaded automatic center-punch tool for like $5 at any hardware store.
Fun fact regarding the Jag handle, their really old coachwork vehicles had a small version of the same design. I’m afraid I don’t have a vehicle year to offer but it was probably 1920 or earlier, and about 2 inches in total length, and was definitely a security feature because the latch handles could only be popped out by hitting a small button on the inside of the door. The driver sat exposed in a front seat similar to the Ford model T.
Nice.
One question, though, are hidden ones “prettier”? I mean, I don’t see the point in hiding them in the first place. Door handles are part of a cars esthetic, and I think a car looks “off” if they’re not visible. Kinda for the same reason I think the current EV designs look “off” - They don’t have an air intake, instead the front looks like a cheap plastic toy. I don’t mind EVs, I just think a fake air intake in the front would look better.
Oh, door handles, yeah… A car should have an obvious way of opening the doors, which adds to the safety aspect. Also, door handles can serve more functions than just opening doors: Mine have a very dim pilot light in them which is excellent in the dark. Sometimes you just want to find your way without having to light up the entire neighborhood.
I think they look more futuristic or rather most people think so. I’ve seen some say it’s because they’re aerodynamic and it’s better for that but I don’t know how much drag that could cause at typical speeds.
What’s weird about Tesla is not just the door handles getting in but also coming out too. They have like different ways of getting out if the electric door fails.
Good for them. They’re a bad idea.
“How much milage did flush door handles give anyways? Certainly not “I’m gonna die” worthy.” I say from my '05 death trap.
As if it was ever really about mileage, rather than pure aesthetics at the cost of any functional consideration.
There’s a reason door handles remained fundamentally unchanged for such a long time, and that’s because we already had it nailed.
It makes sense. Crazy times when China leads the way in safety for something.
