Tesla door handle safety under scrutiny by European regulators

The Dutch regulatory authority RDW, which oversees Tesla safety in Europe, has stated that there are currently no plans for a vehicle recall in Europe regarding Tesla’s retractable door handles. While the regulator is “closely following” the situation, it noted that flush handles are not inherently problematic as long as doors can be opened “intuitively and without tools” from both inside and outside during a total electrical failure.

This scrutiny follows a massive recall in China, where approximately 2.98 million Tesla vehicles are being recalled due to concerns that emergency door-opening mechanisms may be difficult to locate or operate following an accident. The Chinese recall is part of a larger industry-wide action involving 4.3 million vehicles.

In the United States, the NHTSA has also raised similar concerns regarding the accessibility of manual releases. Discussions regarding the ease of opening vehicle doors during emergencies are ongoing within international regulatory bodies, including the UN in Geneva and Euro NCAP.