Tesla is updating its passenger-trapping door handles

Tesla is redesigning the electronic door handles that are currently under investigation for trapping people inside their vehicles. In an Interview with Bloomberg, Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen said that the company is looking to make the handles more intuitive for occupants in “a panic situation.” The update will involve combining the electronic and manual door-release mechanisms into one button, replacing the current design, which has them in separate locations. These changes are likely being made in response to a safety probe launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this week, following reports from Tesla owners being unable to open their doors from the outside using the inoperative handles — which sit flush against the vehicle — to remove their children. Tesla is also monitoring for potential changes in Chinese regulations as the country considers implementing a ban on fully concealed door handles. “We’ll have a really good solution for that,” von Holzhausen told Bloomberg.