Emergency Exit of vehicle during Power Failure

[ctenidae]

Hubris has been the downfall of many a man.

Fair enough. I'm still going to pull the door handle, perhaps frantically, to open the door. If there is any other procedure necessary to open the door in an emergency then it is a bad emergency procedure.

For a wide range of other emergencies and related procedures I agree with you. Not so much in this particular case.

Sponsored

 

[Teslaeata]

The instructions are literally the same as when there’s not an emergency. What is there to think about?

And also how I open the doors every time I get out? Or am I doing it wrong??‍

 

[Maquis]

And also how I open the doors every time I get out? Or am I doing it wrong??‍

Maybe….

 

[Auto Motive]

A Tesla owner locked his key fob in his car? He had to use a coat hanger to get his family out.

Come on now. Our tesla y has manual release front and rear.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

The front doors have a mechanical release, pull all the way back on the lever. The back doors have capacitors that will work without any power from the vehicle.

Interesting. This is the first I've read that the rear doors have the capacitors to activate the unlock/open mechanism in a power failure event. I can't find anything in the manual about it either. I'm glad to know that this feature made it into the car!

 

[Mach-Lee]

Fair enough. I'm still going to pull the door handle, perhaps frantically, to open the door. If there is any other procedure necessary to open the door in an emergency then it is a bad emergency procedure.

For a wide range of other emergencies and related procedures I agree with you. Not so much in this particular case.

They only thing you need to remember is that the rear handles have to be pulled twice sometimes to open with no power.

I’ve disconnected the 12V battery and tested the doors opening. It works just fine, just remember to press the button or pull the handle twice. I opened the same door at least 6 times so it has plenty of power.

 

[Trick.Mach-E]

A Tesla owner locked his key fob in his car? He had to use a coat hanger to get his family out.

This must be the Tesla's dumb cousins...

 

[Logal727]

Relevant https://reddit.com/r/TeslaModel3/s/9sPunbyDV6

 

[L4z3rUsLOng]

I can’t tell you how many times I have had a non family member in the back seat that couldn’t find the internal door handle…

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

I think the issue with emergency door opening with Teslas is that the door emergency opening gesture is completely different from the normal door opening process. So in a (likely) panic situation you need to remember to do something that you're specifically not supposed to do in normal situations. (My wife was using the door lever to open the door of our friend's M3 because that's how she opens the Mach E door, and the car warned against doing it except in emergencies since doing so messes with the window which needs to be lowered so it can clear the weatherstripping.)

The Mach E approach is much, much better!

 

[Teslaeata]

I can’t tell you how many times I have had a non family member in the back seat that couldn’t find the internal door handle…

Glad it’s not just me who has to endure this pantomime!

How difficult is it to work out a door handle??‍

I am not bothered at all with the “how do I get in” because the door opener button is truly different and fairly quirky on the outside.

However in EVERY different make & different model car I’ve EVER been in the handle’s different and in a different place and I NEVER have to ask the dreaded question “how do I get out” and then flounder around like a confused fool as if I’ve never opened a door ever before in my life.

I politely just say it’s there, pointing at the door release whilst thinking to self just pull the f****g lever you a-hole ?

 

[Old_Norm]

Fair enough. I'm still going to pull the door handle, perhaps frantically, to open the door. If there is any other procedure necessary to open the door in an emergency then it is a bad emergency procedure.

For a wide range of other emergencies and related procedures I agree with you. Not so much in this particular case.

There was a case several years ago in Ohio when a man ran from his burning vehicle and forgot his kids were in the back seat. Everyone ended up being safe but still....

I can’t tell you how many times I have had a non family member in the back seat that couldn’t find the internal door handle…

Same here.

 

[RLaTerra]

I totaled an Alero many years ago. Once my car stopped flipping I couldn’t get the door open. Saw the back glass had blown out so I climbed out that way.

Went to the impound lot a few days later and saw blood stains all around the window handle / crank. I had been so disoriented I thought the window crank was the door handle!

No real point here other than to say a) in an emergency it is definitely possible to forget how to do the simplest tasks, and b) no amount of manual clarity or reading would have made any difference.

But to answer the original question, the Mach E door handles are manual. A lack of electrical power does not inhibit exiting the car.

Now if only we could say, “Hey Ford, open the doors before the car burns to the ground…”

I did not mean to sound ignorant of the door

 

[WNKent]

A Tesla owner locked his key fob in his car? He had to use a coat hanger to get his family out.

Odd, there's a manual release inside the Tesla.

 

[RLaTerra]

I apologize for seeming Ignorant. This is my first all electric vehicle, and judging by the way the doors all seem to operate with an electrical latching system that is seemingly released and engaged electronically...plus the fact that ever passenger I drive with has a problem releasing the rear doors on their first attempt, my assumption was that these handles only triggered an electronic release. I do not feel any tension on the handle that feels as though it is releasing any latching mechanism. To me, these delicate interior handles feel more like they function as a large "switch".

If it is a non issue and the door handles function like a manual handle in a power failure, than this is a non issue and I appreciate everyone's informative input.

Sponsored