U.S. initiates door safety regulation process, targeting Tesla's electric door design.

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The U.S. automotive safety regulatory agency has officially initiated the process for establishing federal regulations on door emergency escape systems, a move that will have a profound impact on companies such as Tesla that use electric hidden door handles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Thursday that it has approved a petition and will begin advancing the formulation of new federal regulations requiring all motor vehicles to be equipped with a "reliable and obvious door escape system."

Once the regulations are finalized, all new cars sold in the U.S. must comply with these requirements.

This decision is backed by a series of fatal accidents associated with Tesla's electric door design.

According to previous reports by Bloomberg, in at least twelve collision accidents, a total of at least 15 people were killed or seriously injured in ensuing fires because they were unable to open Tesla doors that had lost power. Regulatory pressure over door safety issues has continued to rise.

As of the time of publication, Tesla was down 14.32% during Thursday’s trading.

Regulatory Background: Electric Door Design Raises Deadly Risks

The hidden electric door handle design adopted by Tesla and some other automakers can result in the inability to open the door properly after the vehicle loses power.

According to Bloomberg, in several high-speed collision accidents, occupants survived the crash, but died or were seriously injured in subsequent fires because they could not escape by opening the door.

Late last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk insisted on pushing forward the electric door design even as safety concerns had already been raised internally.

In November this year, a Silicon Valley engineer filed a petition with NHTSA, requesting the agency to introduce new federal safety standards to address the safety risks posed by electronic or "hidden" door locking and release systems.

The petition noted that such systems are prevalent in electric vehicles, creating a "life-threatening critical safety loophole."

Regulatory Agency: Launching Legislation Process, but Final Regulations Still Years Away

NHTSA stated in Thursday's regulatory documents that it has approved the above petition and will start the rulemaking process. Meanwhile, the agency rejected a separate petition which called for an investigation into safety defects.

Michael Brooks, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety, said NHTSA's initiation of rulemaking is "highly significant, as it is the necessary first step to revise or enact new federal motor vehicle safety standards and strengthen requirements related to electric doors and escape systems."

He also pointed out that, considering the lengthy rulemaking cycle, "even if proceedings go smoothly, manufacturers are unlikely to face a final compliance deadline before 2030."

The agency stated that whether to issue new requirements will be decided based on information gathered during the rulemaking process. The industry usually protests against safety regulations that incur additional costs, meaning the entire process may face considerable resistance.

Legislative Level: Members of Congress Advance Related Bills in Parallel

While the regulatory agency is launching its process, Congress is also taking action.

U.S. Representative Robin Kelly, a Democrat from Illinois, introduced legislation earlier this year requiring new cars to be equipped with manual door release mechanisms and providing ways for first responders to access vehicles when the power is out.

In addition, NHTSA launched a defect investigation into specific Tesla Model Y vehicles in September this year following complaints about children being trapped inside the cars.

This multi-pronged regulatory and legislative pressure is accelerating the inclusion of electric door safety issues on the agenda of the entire automotive industry.

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