Why Tesla owners carry emergency glass hammers as electronic doors fail
Tesla owners in the U.S. carry emergency hammers as electronic door handles jam. 140+ complaints, 35,000-strong petition; Great Wall favors mechanical handles.
Tesla owners across the United States are increasingly stowing emergency glass-breaking hammers in their cabins. The reason is unpleasant: electronic door-release systems sometimes refuse to cooperate, and if both the exterior and interior electric handles fail, a person can end up stuck inside.
Bloomberg notes the issue doesn’t look isolated. Since 2018, U.S. regulators have received more than 140 complaints about Tesla door handles jamming. When that happens, the simplest exit turns into a plan B through a side window, so an emergency hammer is treated as low-cost insurance against a rare yet highly stressful failure.
The story has also stirred public reaction: around 35,000 people have signed a petition urging automakers to rethink the design of electronic doors.
Against this backdrop, Great Wall’s stance sounds telling. Company founder Wei Jianjun has publicly criticized retractable handles and said future Great Wall models will use conventional mechanical ones. The reasoning is pragmatic: trends are one thing, but reliance on power, extra noise and weight, and winter sealing issues tend to irritate more in everyday use. Out on the road, practicality usually outlasts fashionable hardware.