Tesla's European safety overseers are intensifying scrutiny of the electric vehicle maker's door handle design amid concerns over post-crash accessibility. The Dutch RDW authority announced plans to strengthen rules ensuring doors remain operable during power failures. This follows investigations and a fatal incident highlighting entrapment risks.
The Dutch authority RDW, responsible for inspecting and approving Tesla vehicles for the European Union market, stated on Thursday that regulators will enhance rules to guarantee safe vehicle exits after crashes and access for first responders. This move aligns with a global push to examine the flush door handle design popularized by Tesla Inc.
The announcement comes after a Bloomberg News investigation revealed Tesla doors failing to function during battery power outages, potentially trapping occupants, including in fire scenarios. "Doors must always be operable — from the inside by occupants and from the outside by emergency responders — even in the event of a power failure," an RDW spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The spokesperson added, "Where current regulations fall short due to the introduction of new door concepts, this issue is being addressed within the respective committees."
Opening electrically powered doors post-accident is "a key priority for both Euro NCAP and UNECE," the RDW noted, referencing Europe's safety testing organization and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
In the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched a probe into door handles on 174,000 Model Y vehicles days after Bloomberg's September 10 report. Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen told Bloomberg the company is improving handle intuitiveness. China has proposed rules mandating mechanical door releases inside and outside vehicles to phase out flush designs.
The Netherlands participated in a UNECE global safety working group in May 2025, where a German expert stressed an urgent need for solutions to ensure door access after accidents. Last month, a man and two children died in a burning Tesla crash in Schwerte, Germany, with a first responder unable to extract the children, according to Focus magazine.
"This is not a theoretical problem — people are dying because they cannot get out of vehicles when every second counts," said Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council, in a September 24 statement. The Brussels-based group urges faster regulatory action and EU recalls for at-risk vehicles.