US to mandate manual door releases in cars with electronic handles after China

A key US House committee has moved forward with a bill that would require carmakers to install manual door releases in vehicles equipped with electronic door handles. The electronic flush door release is a design widely used in Tesla models and is increasingly common in modern EVs as well.

The Securing Accessible Functional Emergency Exit (SAFE Exit) Act was advanced during a US House Committee on Energy and Commerce session this week. The proposal still has to clear multiple legislative stages before it can become law.

Why was the bill introduced?

The legislation, introduced last month by Illinois Representative Robin Kelly, comes after a series of incidents in which occupants were reportedly unable to open vehicle doors when electronic systems failed, particularly after crashes.

As reported by Bloomberg, at least 15 deaths across multiple incidents where Tesla vehicles caught fire following accidents, and doors could not be opened from inside or outside. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened investigations into door mechanisms in certain Tesla Model Y and Model 3 vehicles.

“People are dying right now," Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell said during the committee session. “As more vehicles rely on electronic door latches, we have to make sure there’s always a clear manual backup when these systems fail."

What the bill proposes

If passed, the SAFE Exit Act would require vehicles with electronic door systems to have:

• A clearly labelled and easily accessible mechanical latch
• An intuitive manual override
• A provision allowing first responders to access the vehicle in case of a power failure

Supporters argue that as EV adoption rises and electronic systems replace traditional mechanical components, safety regulations must keep pace.

Global context

Lawmakers backing the proposal have said the US risks falling behind China and the European Union on door-safety norms. China recently moved to ban concealed door handles in electric vehicles, becoming the first country to prohibit the design.

Not all lawmakers are fully aligned on the approach. Florida Representative Gus Bilirakis said he supports the objective but believes safety experts should conduct detailed research to create flexible standards and avoid unintended consequences.

While the debate is unfolding in the US, the outcome could influence global safety standards, particularly for markets like India, where EV adoption is steadily rising, and global manufacturers sell shared platforms across regions.

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