Tesla is making a big change in its door handles

Franz von Holzhausen, Head of Design at Tesla, has confirmed that the company is making a big change in its door handles that has drawn the attention of safety regulators

Franz told Bloomberg that Tesla has been finding ways to combine electronic and manual door-release systems. These handles are currently available in different locations, and with a new redesign, they will be more accessible than before. He said the EV maker is now exploring the option to combine the manual and electronic release into one button.

The latest reaction from Tesla’s design chief arrived after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received 140 consumer complaints related to doors on different Tesla models. Their door handles were getting stuck or malfunctioning since 2018.

Bloomberg’s @mattmiller1973 and @HannahElliott speak with Tesla Chief Designer @woodhaus2 about the car’s electronic doors for the “Hot Pursuit!” podcast https://t.co/KU6FNDJURT pic.twitter.com/QIIHVwKDVv

— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) September 17, 2025

The US regulator has opened an investigation into this matter to know more about the hardware problem and decide whether the reports are true, which also mentioned an incident of the exterior handle getting jammed with children trapped inside. This prob covers 174,290 Model Y 2021 SUVs.

Tesla is one of the top-rated vehicle safety providers, but these tests don’t measure the occupants’ ease of getting out of the car after a crash. On the other hand, Chinese regulators are thinking of a ban on fully concealed door handles, and Europe has already implemented incremental measures to improve post-crash rescue protocols.

Franz said that Tesla is looking into the new changes in China and will make the required upgrades to vehicles.

(source)