Life-threatening danger: Why was Tesla forced to recall millions of vehicles?

Tesla has announced a widespread safety recall for its vehicles manufactured in China. The move will cover the leading models of the electric vehicle manufacturer and will be carried out largely through an automatic software update. Tesla's representative office in Israel, for its part, chose not to comment on the move at this stage.

The main reason for the move is a series of serious accidents, some of them fatal, in which passengers were trapped inside the vehicle without the ability to escape. It turns out that during an electrical system failure at the time of an accident, the electronic door opening mechanism fails, and passengers found it difficult to locate the mechanical opening mechanism hidden at the bottom of the door. As part of the update, the vehicles will be programmed to automatically lower the windows in the event of a collision to allow for quick extraction. In addition, prominent stickers will be attached to point to the mechanical opening handles.

At the same time, another recall will be carried out for approximately 2.74 million vehicles of models 3 and Y, during which the driver monitoring system will be updated. The goal of the update is to better identify fatigue and distraction while using driver assistance systems, and to reduce danger in the event of non-response.

These moves come against the backdrop of a regulatory change in China, which decided to put an end to the danger of electric doors and mandated the installation of a clear option for mechanical opening from the inside and outside — a requirement that will force other car manufacturers to carry out recalls as well. Automotive critics have been claiming for some time that the transition to retractable handles and electric buttons is proving to be problematic and dangerous in an emergency, and it is estimated that a similar recall will soon be announced in the rest of the world as well.