Couple Sues Tesla Over Faulty Door Handles - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica discusses a lawsuit filed by a couple, Venkateswara Pasumarti and Susmita Maddi, against Tesla over faulty door handles in their Model Y, which contributed to life-threatening difficulties during a 2023 crash. Tesla’s design features electrically operated door locks with obscure mechanical releases that become nearly unusable if the 12-volt power supply fails after an accident. In the couple’s case, first responders and bystanders struggled to open the doors to rescue them; the driver was pulled out through a broken window, while Maddi was trapped and severely injured by fire and smoke inhalation until hydraulic rescue tools arrived. The article criticizes Tesla’s design philosophy, calling the reliance on electric door mechanisms with hidden mechanical backups “stupid” and emblematic of a “move fast and break things” tech culture. The article further highlights that Tesla defends its door design by citing compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), but this offers little