Congress has introduced a bill to restrict the types of door handles available on cars, targeting Tesla and other manufacturers amid growing safety concerns about current designs.
According to Electrek, Representative Robin Kelly (D-Illinois) introduced the Securing Accessible Functional Emergency Exit Act, or the SAFE Exit Act, which would require all cars to have emergency manual door releases that are easily visible and accessible.
The bill stems from a trend that started with Tesla and its electric door latches, and has spread to other companies as well. Historically, car door handles were relatively straightforward devices, with a mechanism that unlatched the door from the body of the vehicle when you pulled it, allowing you to open it.
That changed with Tesla, which introduced electronic door handles that operate with a button or a sensor, signaling an actuator to open the door. The result was a smoother, more aerodynamic appearance that gave their cars a more futuristic feel.
However, when the car loses power in a crash, the doors remain locked and can't be opened from the inside. Federal law already requires a manual latch point in all cars, but in Teslas and other cars, those manual releases are often incredibly hard to find. For example, in newer versions of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, the manual releases are hidden and unlabeled, and are currently the subject of a federal safety investigation.
Kelly took aim at Tesla CEO Elon Musk in her comments on the bill.
"Profits and, least of all, style, should not come before people's lives," Kelly said, per Electrek. "Elon Musk and his Tesla designs are not safe, nor efficient, and it has cost people their lives. When crashes or power loss leave drivers and passengers trapped inside their own cars, that is not innovation — it's a safety failure."
The move would likely force Tesla to redesign its remaining car models, including the Cybertruck and the upcoming Cybercab, creating major problems for the already beleaguered electric vehicle manufacturer.
Modern car doors are already short on space, thanks to side airbags, lock mechanisms, window mechanisms, speakers, and the electronic door mechanisms Tesla was using. Adding new, more clearly marked manual releases will delay the arrival of the new models, which could pose big problems for a company that saw its sales tank in 2025.
While this bill could mean another headache for Tesla, it would be a win for consumers. Making EVs even safer could encourage broader support for eco-friendly cars, helping the environment and saving drivers money.
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It's unclear how much support there is for the bill at this point, but the U.S. isn't the only country pushing for changes; China banned hidden door handles late last year, which was likely to spur major changes anyway, but adding the U.S. market could expedite those alterations.
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