Every vehicle should have a mechanical door.

Not having a door opening mechanism that is traditional and easy to use is criminal. If there's an accident, the driver is knocked out, the car is burning...how are the kids in the back seat going to get out? What idiot thought it was cool to do away with door handles? If that touch button on the door is iced over, you may still not be able to get in. This all these "secret overrides" in various locations, even experienced drivers may not be able to find them in an emergency. ( It may have been six or eight years since they bought the car and looked at the manual.) Many years ago I rented a car on a business trip. When I got to the hotel, I couldn't turn the engine off. I had to call the rental car company to find out about a hidden button on the steering column. Just because the designers at the factory know about these tricks, the consumer may not.

You only have seconds to get out when one of these things lights off, you may not have time to grab your family members. Extremely dangerous !!

Imagine having your young family strapped in the back of the car and you are unable to release the rear doors. Only an idiot would risk their lives on an electronic door system that can potentially fail in an emergency situation.

EV owners will have to do a airline style safety briefing before every journey😂

EVS JUST GET MORE DANGEROUS BY EACH DAY

Thank you for showing what a panic inducing and possibly hazardous situation this hidden door handle situation can be

As an ex-bus driver, I always told customers how to get out of the vehicle in case of an emergency. Many hours of the journey took place at night. Darkness makes it even more complicated if you have 60 people in panic trying to get out. Keep in mind that in a bus accident, the driver will usually be the first victim and can therefore not help.

Many elderly cannot climb out of the back window even if they can break the glass. Whether or not you pay so much for a car at the very least there should be a mechanism on all doors to allow them to open.

It's absolutely insane, these EVs have an electrically releasing door but they have a manual override in a loss of power situation. Why not just have a mechanical release mechanism that works all the time or is keeping things simple not really fashionable nowadays and a relic of a bygone era?

I never liked this idea. And it’s not only EVs that use them. I understand why some cars such as minivans use it because it reduces wear and tear on the sliding door, but my concern has always been if the battery goes out, I could get stuck. I know there’s an override, but still…

The model Y does have a manual release at the rear. But it's hidden in a stupid manner. Meanwhile, the model 3 doesn't have anything at the rear, which is unnecessarily dangerous.

I’m old school thinking. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Manual pull latches are just fine

Thank you very much for doing these videos. We have an Ioiniq 5 that suffered from the original poor quality 12 volt batteries. Imagine my shock realizing, for the first time, that no matter how charged the main battery is, if the 12v is flat, it’s a brick. No switching, unlocks, etc. Your videos are very informative and, perhaps in some cases, life saving.

A lot of this stuff should be standardized by legislation, for cases like rental vehicles etc. Emergency releases located in the same place, or as obvious to find in all vehicles. Or like with the Tesla button, make the emergency release a detent position on that button, connected mechanically. After all, when something doesn't work in an emergency situation, what does a panicking person usually do first by instinct? Apply that technique a lot harder, and with the mechanical connection being a further detent below the switch contact, they would automatically activate the cable.

This issue is one of the reasons I stay away from many electric vehicles. Electric door releases, fix a problem that never existed. And the fact that an engineer would not have the common sense to realize this mistake is mind-boggling.

In a panic, people will revert to their muscle memory. Modern codes require doors in commercial building to swing out since in a panic, people will virtually always push out. If it is a pull door, they think the door in locked and panic. There is a funny video with a thief trying to exit a store he robbed by pushing on the door. He though the door was deliberately locked to trap him but it was just a pull door. If they don't practice emergency procedures, skydivers revert back to the original gear they were trained on and can pull the wrong handles in the wrong order. Motorcyclists forget where their engine cut off switch is in an emergency unless they use it all the time.

Imagine someone who rents one of these things. No owner's manuals are in the glove box. Reminds me of the scene in "Blazing Saddles" where the preacher says to Sheriff Bart..."son, you're on your own."

Even if you have manual door handles it still may not fast enough too get out in a Lithium battery fire , when things go bad it burns extremely fast

I think it’s insane to move away from mechanical devices for things such as a handle. It must be more expensive making it electric anyway. I’d never get a car with an electric door handle. Thanks for showing the manual release, but if your panicking it might be something you don’t think to hunt for if you didn’t know about it.

troubling thing is that not every car has an owners manual in them. Any car that I have owned never came with one and left me to go to ebay and spend an arm and leg to get one mostly because the car dealers were like oh well.

The Corvette, since 2005, has been using electronic door latch. There are manual release latches on the floor next to the seat, and most owners aren't familiar with them.

It's all very well to say that EV owners know the emergency door release location, but some people could freeze & enter panic mode when locked in, which could be catastrophic. ALL manufacturers should have operational & clearly visible mechanical door releases. Tesla should be dragged through hot coals for not having any mechanical door release for rear passengers, especially when there's a good chance that they would be kids or elderly.

Its quite incredible, the electrification of mechanical functions that work flawlessly

Manual overrides should be required by law for all vehicles.

safest bet is to not buy an EV

Fantastic video. Great job. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻 Those are life saving tips. Thank you.

I work a service tech and 38 year i can probably count on 1 hand how many car owners have read the owners manual. Or with sales it starts there but with such high turn over the just sell the car and rarely tell the new owners of unique things that could save there life in a modern car.

When seconds count it will only take a few minutes to find that emergency door latch.

You just got a new subscriber. I have no interest in getting an electric vehicle. But you are awesome to give everyone these safety tips. I am sharing with everyone. ❤

Thank you for sharing, work as a fire equipment tech and will be sharing your videos with my coworkers.

If all else fails - Read the instructions! Excellent video, it is a lifesaver. Thank you.

Thank you for your video. Maybe it will save lives!! Knowing how to egress a vehicle using alternative methods is so important.

I work for a major car rental company servicing EVs and am so glad I found this video. I go to work in three hours, and as soon as I get there intend to practice using the emergency door releases on the Tesla Model Y and 3 (their doors are functionally identical) so I can familiarize myself with their use and demonstrate it to renters and coworkers.

All electric vehicles should have manual backup latches by law. This needs to be addressed very soon in all countries.

Thanks you. These information is gold for cars users.

Hey man was recommended by Auto Expert John Cadogan, he reviewed some of your work🙂. EVs........bruh

That fire hose sound you hear is all the personal injury attorneys wetting their pants after watching this.

Just subbed… you know how to present! Be concise, be brief and be gone 🫡 the sample videos really drive the point. Trying to understand where the federal safety commission is in all this development 🧐 somebody has got ‘smartest guy in the room’ syndrome for sure

Excellent video. Keep up the great work. Thanks

This was informative. I read an article recently about a couple who went boating with their EV. The wife was backing the vehicle toward the lake, to release the boat they had hitched to it, when an alert came up saying to exit the vehicle immediately. The story says the doors had automatically locked, though (weird, given the alert to get out), and she didn't know how to get out. Her husband opened her door, so she could get out, which was fortunate, because the vehicle slid into the lake, where it started combusting.

Sooooo glad with my old fashioned Suzuki Ignus, 5 years old. ICE it is, thank the Lord. ❤

If more people read their owner's manual after they purchase their vehicle there probably wouldn't be problem getting out the car in case of an emergency. The Fed's should mandate a backup mechanical door release on all doors with cars that have electrically operated door releases not just on the front doors. They been doing that with trunks for years requiring a mechanical release be located inside the trunk so if a kid playing around climbs in and closes the trunk lid they can get out.

The Chevy HHR is one car that actually locks you in, if the battery dies. The doors won’t unlock or open and neither does the back hatch. I had one for years, and loved it, but when my sob began driving it, we had a scary experience, when the battery died. I got rid of it!

How are these cars approved for production without standard door handles?

Thanks for your service! Best regards from Sweden, Flavio

At 68 I’ve had occasion to ride as a passenger in Electric cars. Not once has any driver been able to tell me how to manually open anything. As the big computer screen does it all. The whole experience astonishes me. TOO damned many distractions in my opinion!

..very fact that introduction to 'manual override' is required for driver to actually know how to open door in case of emergency, speaks volumes of these 'inventions'..

Thank you 🙏🏽

Thank for the video. This made me curious, following The MacMaster's meltdown on getting stuck in his Taycan with a flat 12V battery, I looked up the porsche manual and it states: *The doors cannot be opened from inside if the vehicle was locked with SAFELOCK activated or using the emergency key* This sounds like there's no manual release to rely on. Does anyone know if this is the case? This instance was when he had a flat 12v and opened the door with the emergency key, and then shut the door once inside the car.

I miss the good old days. I owned a couple of two door GM cars from the 1970’s. There was an issue with the door hinge bushings wearing prematurely causing the doors to sag. Had to give the door a good pull to open it and a solid slam to close it. But I never worried about getting trapped inside of the car.

This is a worthwhile video. I have been passenger in an all electric EV.. I am disturbed however by the fact that one seems to need to read the owners manual of whatever , whichever EV in order to identify the door release, even for normal exits. They are not all the same. Door release handles were always located in similar positions and operated in similar ways. So even if you did not know the car, you would know how to get out of it in an emergency. BUT the EV I rode in had a device that resembled a piece of Modern art. For all I knew, it could have been associated wit the mirror or something. It looked like anything else, but not a door handle. Another EV piece I viewed has the release incorporated in what looks like an extension on interior trim. For Safety sake, I say that all exit door handles should be instinctive to use in an emergency, even for non-owners. I can think of any number of emergencies where having the manual release discretely out of the way would be fatal.

It’s not just the owner that needs to know about emergency release: all the passengers need to know too.

I remember some years back, after an accident in the Palm Springs California area, Frank Sinatra’s long time close friend Jilly Rizzo was trapped in his car. The power everything in his Jaguar went dead and he couldn’t open doors nor windows. Several people tried breaking the glass but it only spiderwebbed. In just a few minutes before he could be rescued, the car caught fire and Mr. Rizzo died an awful death. It was a terrible tragedy. To this day I prefer non-power doors and manual roll down windows which unfortunately have been phased out of all but the most bare bones smallest cars.

If I recall, on the Tesla Model Y, reach into the door pocket, pull off the bottom liner, look for another rectangular cover, pry it out, then pull on a ribbon/handle... It is that "easy"... or so they think. In most cars, pull off the front seat headrests and use them to break the glass. That is why it has tapered point ends on those rods. Of course, if the car has rear seat headrests, do the same.

This also means that when calling for assistance telling the service what kind of vehicle you have is important. Guide can then be accessed whilst the emergency service is on its way

Will the manual handle inside of the Mustang work if the door is locked? If not, is there a lock button you can release manually if the power is lost?

In event of an emergency you may not be able to think, or have time to reach for secondary mechanical door handle. This is something that needs to be done from muscle memory, which most people who ride in vehicles already know. THAT'S where the mechanical door handle should ALWAYS be, not tucked in a place where it's not a natural reaction to reach for it. And the fact that Tesla doesn't have mechanical door handles in the back is downright negligence on their part.

Makes me sooooooooo glad my Ford Focus has manual Windup windows. (Like we had as kids in the 70;s & 80's)

I’m so thankful for my Toyota! No power windows or locks.

the model y has a manual release for the rear doors - but you'd need to know where it is to find it - in the door pocket, under the mat

Most if not all industrial equipment that have a cab, (almost all of your larger units) come with a small, plastic handle pointy brass hammer for breaking out the glass, and most have a letter opener type razor blade for cutting the seat belt if need be.

Headed to this site from recommendation of Aussie KZfaqr Auto Expert John Cadogan, glad I did.

I have always kept an auto centre punch in my car since I had my first car….. being laminated doesn’t stop you breaking the window…. If you have never used one which I had from being a bit of a scally when I was a kid I would recommend that you go down to a scrap yard and have a practice so you can get a feel for how the glass will react…. I would suggest you have a chat with the owner 😉 another one was using porcelain chunks off a spark plug….. but that’s not so practicable to use if you’re in the car…. Great for getting in though…

I don't have that window/door problem. My ice has manual wind down windows and non electrical doors I even dismantaled the burglar alarm and the remote locking.

I seem to remember that UK regulations require a physical link to door openers. The same way in which there has to be a physical link between the brake pedal and the brakes.

Good information 👍🏻

The owner might know of an override, but what of the non owner passengers? what if the owner is unconscious, leaving the non owner passengers to fend for themselves?

Are there any vehicle safety regulations that require manual overrides for these electronic locks?

The teslas have emergency releases for the back door. They're hidden under the carpet, basically. The user manual for the M3 tells you *not* to use the emergency release on a regular basis, so many people were doing it "wrong".

In a brand new 2008 Vette. I got in and power failed and I was stuck inside. The dealer got the manual and after 15 minutes found a hidden cable to pull to open the door.

The ultimate Muppet trap !!! What a great idea !!! My model A ford doesn’t suffer from this foolishness…

What about a mechanical override for power windows.

Safety should always be first, Auto industry should be watching your video

They are not obvious enough, but most Teslas do have a rear door emergency release. For the model Y look in the manual on page 232. Another way out would be to lower a backseat and use the emergency trunk release

I worked for the phone company. People's alarms used to break and seize the phone line and you had no phone. It would seem that no alarm company showed the customers the phone bypass in case this happened. I showed every customer where it was and how to use the bypass. Dealers should have to show you this before they hand you the keys to a car. I know they have used cars sold from person to person, but the more it gets out there, the more people will know.

Hi , I saw this too, completely insane In the event of fire you need to be able to escape as in a house fire. In a fire alarm system doors are held open by a magnet operated by electricity . In the event of power loss door closes. This should be the same in vehicle if power loss lock opens. Also door handles of some EV's are flush, very snazzy but would be rescuers cannot rescue people.

2023 C8 Corvett's have and ICE engine and electric switches to open the doors. So, this applies to some ICE vehicles as well.

“The door release is on the floor.” Oh! Of course!! That’s perfectly obvious. 🔥 😱 💀

This like some sort of Indiana Jones movie. You be be trapped in a cave or an underground chamber full of poisonous snakes, but don’t worry, there is a secret tunnel to escape through if you can find it.

That “No cable” exit option brings the security stars to -10 in any case

What is the point in adding cost with an electric latch & cable together? Just have the cable and reduce cost.

So HAPPY with my GOOD OLD VOLVO 940 2.3i 1997❤❤

Simple answer is know there has to be a manual mechanical release for doors other wise a car cannot be sold. This come down to people not reading there manual. Now ev or ice all work of a 12v system so if your drive battery loses power your 12v does not . The model Y does have a manual release for the rear door in in the resr door povket there a flap lit out and the release is there there has to be pne by law

It's hard enough figuring out controls on a rentals. Now we must worry about secret latches?

I have said since they went all electric windows that @least the drivers doors window should be hand wind because if you go in a lake, you can still get out. I never thought about being inside on land!

If you have a vehicle with all laminated glass and you crash into the water, you may not be able to exit the vehicle. Just open the door? If you sink deep enough the water pressure will prevent you from opening the door. Thats why in some situations you are advised to break the side glass window. Scary thought being trapped in a car sinking to the bottom of the ocean to never be seen again. Sitting in that freezing cold completely dark water. Just because of more technology but lack of the knowledge of it's dangers.

Not having to break the glass to get out of a burning car is a moot point. At least he lived to see his car burn to the ground.

I think I'll stick with my older ICE with manual entry and egress handles!

3:40 there is a emergency release for the rear doors of the Tesla Model y it’s just hidden under the plastic liner in the door pocket

one thing that is different about Firefighters is like no other government service , everything they do and train for is LOGICAL

You do the hokey pokey. Airline cockpits have emergency checklists. Let's see, before we can remove any occupants, we need to pull up instructions, someone check google. Maybe the driver knows where the manual is.

Doors lock when you drive off and don't unlock until you unlock them.. if there is a fire you cannot unlock the door no matter the button.

There are LOTS of mechanical CABLE operated door handles that WILL trap you inside, they WON'T open; i have 2 of those turds( otherwise good cars...); bmw e36 1995 , 318 tds and a 2006 Rover 25, 1,4; they both have the immo act up sometimes, and they go into "superlock" or some shtt like that, and to get out i have to open the window,and manually open the door lock with the key on the OUTSIDE lock; i think this was to prevent a thief from getting out if he stole the car, and to get the immo deleted from the ECU costs money..

Same thing with Teslas there's a manual latch that opens the doors,that guy panic was not thinking clearly.

The Tesla model Y does have a manual override for the rear doors also. Please verify your information for your videos.

Madness! When my horse stops walking cos it’s tired I just climb off… Modern technology is crazy.

I must how well push button doors work if there happens to be a freezing rain at night? I can bet it won’t pop open in morning. There are times when I can’t open door without using a deicer or nearly ripping door seal from truck..

New engineers re-inventing the wheel!

This is one more reason I like my 2007 4 door Impala. Power failure...no problem. To manually open any door, just pull up on the door locks. My neighbor had a Prius. The battery went dead. Nothing worked. But he could get into the trunk where the battery was In a battery access compartment to jump start it. But he couldn't get to the battery because the battery access compartment was locked by an electrical push button. He said whoever designed this thing should have spent time behind bars.