A Phoneix grandmother locked out of her Tesla with her grandchild in the back seat

[TomServo]

Toddler trapped in car when Tesla battery dies in Scottsdale

A Scottsdale woman says her granddaughter got trapped inside a Tesla when the car's battery died.

www.azfamily.com

Scary, but aside from what she did, is there another option to open doors quickly from the outside in an emergency with a dead LV battery?

 

[FastEddieB]

I don’t think so.

But I recall there are two wires under a hole plug on the left side of the front bumper, and that a simple 9v battery can serve to energize the system.

Do most folks carry a small battery to use in that case?

Found this:

 

[father_of_6]

That just pops the drunk so that you can change the battery... it doesn't open the door.

This problem isn't specific to Tesla, even though the news media is attacking. It's a problem with all cars that have electronic locks (many cars).

 

[TomServo]

That just pops the drunk so that you can change the battery... it doesn't open the door.

This problem isn't specific to Tesla, even though the news media is attacking. It's a problem with all cars that have electronic locks (many cars).

I bet the NHTSA gets involved. Since they have Tesla in their crosshairs.

I wonder if Tesla could design/install some sort of "capacitor" to hold just enough power to power the electric door locks in these emergencies. But RETRO fitting older cars would be a bitch.

 

[father_of_6]

That just pops the drunk so that you can change the battery... it doesn't open the door.

* frunk. Silly mobile keyboard always "corrects" that.

 

[father_of_6]

I wonder if Tesla could design/install some sort of "capacitor" to hold just enough power to power the electric door locks in these emergencies.

That would be a good solution though, IMO.

 

[fholbert]

Toddler trapped in car when Tesla battery dies in Scottsdale

A Scottsdale woman says her granddaughter got trapped inside a Tesla when the car's battery died.

www.azfamily.com

This is a real issue.

It would be a good practice to open the driver door before closing the kids door. I’d say open the window, but afraid they would close on their own.

I bet the NHTSA gets involved. Since they have Tesla in their crosshairs.

They should get involved. AZ has been over 100* every day for a couple of weeks now. Not sure how long a kid can survive in a 150*+ car but this could turn fatal quick.

 

[MitchMitch]

Saw this story a week ago. MY anti-Tesla neighbor texted to be sure I saw it.
In my curmudgeonly opinion, the degree of sensationalism is distasteful. Editing in lights and sirens. . . ??!! (FUD?)
I feel for the grandmother and the stress she endured, but it seems like she is throwing shade on the Fire Department, and blaming anyone/everyone else.
Is it not the owner's responsibility to understand their equipment? ("RTFM" as Brian H. used to write in the OG Tesla Forum )

The sky is NOT falling. Nothing to make "a Federal Case" over.
Sure, Tesla should make a note and look for a pattern. I imagine they will.
Having the government protect us from ourselves is not the way forward.

/end rant

 

[Tam]

Saw this story a week ago. MY anti-Tesla neighbor texted to be sure I saw it.
In my curmudgeonly opinion, the degree of sensationalism is distasteful. Editing in lights and sirens. . . ??!! (FUD?)
I feel for the grandmother and the stress she endured, but it seems like she is throwing shade on the Fire Department, and blaming anyone/everyone else.
Is it not the owner's responsibility to understand their equipment? ("RTFM" as Brian H. used to write in the OG Tesla Forum )

The sky is NOT falling. Nothing to make "a Federal Case" over.
Sure, Tesla should make a note and look for a pattern. I imagine they will.
Having the government protect us from ourselves is not the way forward.

/end rant

This is a preventable safety issue manufactured by prioritizing the CEO compensation package instead of spending the money on the old fashioned mechanical keys.

Companies are racing to the bottom to see how they can boost profits over safety.

Few would resist that trend by including a physical key like Kia EV6, Porsche Taycan...

 

[Tam]

That just pops the drunk so that you can change the battery... it doesn't open the door.

This problem isn't specific to Tesla, even though the news media is attacking. It's a problem with all cars that have electronic locks (many cars).

If you pay more for Porsche Taycan instead of cheap Tesla, you can have both: electronic doors and mechanical keys:

Safety comes with a price.

 

[father_of_6]

This is a preventable safety issue manufactured by prioritizing the CEO compensation package instead of spending the money on the old fashioned mechanical keys.

Nah... the lack of mechanical keys is a benefit. It's *also* a cost reduction, but definitely a benefit. I'm happy to have one less thing in my pocket.

This isn't a new problem - doors being stuck closed when the battery dies. It's not a Tesla problem either. It IS a problem though. Easily solved with a brick. No one is going to let their child die to save the window glass.

Lesson learned - make sure the front door is opened before closing the back door with your child inside.

 

[advocate8]

Saw this story a week ago. MY anti-Tesla neighbor texted to be sure I saw it.
In my curmudgeonly opinion, the degree of sensationalism is distasteful. Editing in lights and sirens. . . ??!! (FUD?)
I feel for the grandmother and the stress she endured, but it seems like she is throwing shade on the Fire Department, and blaming anyone/everyone else.
Is it not the owner's responsibility to understand their equipment? ("RTFM" as Brian H. used to write in the OG Tesla Forum )

The sky is NOT falling. Nothing to make "a Federal Case" over.
Sure, Tesla should make a note and look for a pattern. I imagine they will.
Having the government protect us from ourselves is not the way forward.

/end rant

Seriously. This happens with ICE cars daily, and isnt news. Also? if there is actualy danger? Just break the frreaking window. It's no big deal.

 

[Tam]

Nah... the lack of mechanical keys is a benefit. It's *also* a cost reduction, but definitely a benefit. I'm happy to have one less thing in my pocket.

This isn't a new problem - doors being stuck closed when the battery dies. It's not a Tesla problem either. It IS a problem though. Easily solved with a brick. No one is going to let their child die to save the window glass.

Lesson learned - make sure the front door is opened before closing the back door with your child inside.

It's hidden in the fob. Doesn't look like a separate extra object to carry. Here's from the cheapo Kia EV6:

 

[Tam]

Seriously. This happens with ICE cars daily, and isnt news. Also? if there is actualy danger? Just break the frreaking window. It's no big deal.

When an owner has a fob on hand and unable to get a toddler out of a car that requires calling for help, that's a safety issue.

Yes, the fire department can break the window with a toddler inside but that is not a benign, pleasant act. It's violence and can cause trauma either physically or mentally. Especially for a young person.

 

[father_of_6]

It's hidden in the fob. Doesn't look like a separate extra object to carry. Here's from the cheapo Kia EV6:

The fob IS the separate extra object to carry.

 

[MikeChicago]

That just pops the drunk so that you can change the battery... it doesn't open the door.

This problem isn't specific to Tesla, even though the news media is attacking. It's a problem with all cars that have electronic locks (many cars).

I agree, with the only difference being that most cars have a physical key usually hidden inside the keyfob and a covered keyhole where you can insert the key. Again, not all new cars, but I would say probably most do.

If there was an easy way to access the car, people would complain about that, too. Tesla should still come up with a way to easily unlock the car when the vehicle's 12V battery is dead. Even if it was a small rechargeable battery and a dedicated bluetooth controller that only operates the door locks in case of an emergency would be enough. Something...

 

[Tam]

The fob IS the separate extra object to carry.

True. Nowadays phone takes place of many things including credit cards and car fobs.

Consumers just need to be educated that they can choose an EV with a mechanical key or not. If they chose the one without, it's on them.

 

[MitchMitch]

I wonder if, in 1915 when someone broke their hand/wrist/arm crank starting their Model T, the local paper ran a special edition printed in all red 85 font decrying Henry Ford's salary, or the monstrous capitalists that caused the harm, threatening legal action, or if the injured said, "hum, note to self. . . make sure to follow the directions and use the left hand." and maybe mention it to my friends at church on Sunday"

 

[Tam]

I wonder if, in 1915 when someone broke their hand/wrist/arm crank starting their Model T, the local paper ran a special edition printed in all red 85 font decrying Henry Ford's salary, or the monstrous capitalists that caused the harm, threatening legal action, or if the injured said, "hum, note to self. . . make sure to follow the directions and use the left hand." and maybe mention it to my friends at church on Sunday"

Excellent case study.

As the world gets more modern and richer, resources should be redirected toward safety.

That's why money is spent on turning an ignition key instead of the hand crank.

 

[MP3Mike]

I mean come-on. Tesla has frameless windows, and the front manual door release is easily reachable with a rod to grab and pull it without breaking a window. Any locksmith, or AAA, etc., could have the front doors opened in seconds with no damage. Probably faster than the fire department breaking the window since they had to tape it up first to prevent the spread of glass shards. I'm surprised that the fire department doesn't have such "lock-out" tools. (They mentioned that they can't get in a Tesla, are they just ignorant of the door release and think that Teslas are something special and different from every other car on the road?)