Tesla’s Electric Doors Continue To Draw Regulatory Action — NHTSA To Devise New Federal Standards

• Comes on the heels of a probe into about 174,000 Tesla vehicles over concerns regarding the safety threats posed by the electric doors. 
• NHTSA, on Thursday, also said that it has denied a separate petition seeking a probe into Tesla Model 3’s emergency door releases. 
• All future U.S. vehicles would face the new door requirements if finalized.

U.S. auto safety regulators are looking to develop federal standards requiring strong, obvious exit systems in all new vehicles, as they seek to mitigate deadly incidents involving Tesla’s electronic doors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Thursday that it has granted a petition to create a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard mandating “a robust and obvious door egress system” in all motor vehicles. The move follows reports that Tesla’s power-dependent flush handles and poorly labeled mechanical overrides can trap occupants when vehicle power fails in crashes or fires.

Last year, the NHTSA initiated a probe into about 174,000 Model Y vehicles over concerns that the electronic door handles may become inoperative due to low battery voltage in the vehicle. The agency then noted that it is aware of nine incidents where customers were unable to open doors on model year 2021 Model Y vehicles.

The regulator stated that the most commonly reported scenarios involving door handle issues involved parents exiting the vehicle to either remove or place a child in the back seat. In these cases, the parents were unable to reopen a door to regain access to the vehicle, it said. Tesla has since explored combined electronic-mechanical handles.

NHTSA Rejects Additional Probe Request

NHTSA on Thursday also said that it has denied a separate petition seeking a probe into Tesla Model 3’s emergency door releases, determining the concern is better handled through new rules applying to all cars. It also noted that further investigation is unlikely to establish a safety defect in the vehicle.

All future U.S. vehicles would face the new requirements if finalized.

How Did TSLA Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around TSLA stock rose from ‘neutral’ to ‘bullish’ in the past 24 hours, while message volume remained at ‘high’ levels.

TSLA stock has fallen 29% year-to-date.

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