"If the power goes out, you can't escape... Electric cars you ride risking your life"

Power outage due to accident makes opening difficult
Consumer anxiety grows over repeated electric vehicle fires
Consumer group calls for prompt safety measures

Concerns among consumers are growing due to a series of fires involving Tesla electric vehicles in the United States. There is increasing demand to introduce an emergency escape device that can be easily and conveniently operated across all models to alleviate consumer anxiety.

On the afternoon of the 9th, a Tesla electric car traveling on National Route 1 in Undang-ri, Sojeong-myeon, Sejong City, was completely burned in a fire, leaving only the frame. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 18th, the Consumer Sovereignty Citizens' Association released a press statement titled "Safety Concerns for Tesla Model 3 Passengers Without Second-Row Emergency Escape Devices," stating, "There have already been two Tesla vehicle fire incidents this year."

Earlier, on the 9th, a Tesla Model Y driving on a national road in Undang-ri, Sojeong-myeon, Sejong, crashed into the central divider guardrail and collided with an oncoming vehicle, causing a fire. The driver barely escaped the vehicle with help from bystanders, and the flames were extinguished after 1 hour and 18 minutes.

On the 7th, a fire broke out in a Model X parked at the Tesla Service Center in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, burning half of the vehicle.

[Image source=Pixabay]

The organization stated, "The importance of vehicle safety design during emergencies has never been greater," and pointed out, "Despite this, the 2020 Tesla 'Model 3 Performance' is designed so that if power is cut off due to an accident, the rear doors cannot be opened from the inside, which is shocking." Electric vehicles are very difficult to open the doors and trunk when the vehicle power is off.

They added, "If the lithium-ion battery in an electric vehicle is damaged by external impact or experiences overcurrent, a thermal runaway phenomenon occurs, causing temperatures to rise up to 700 degrees Celsius in a short time," and "In a situation where awareness of fire suppression and safety must increase, the lack of an emergency escape device in the Tesla Model 3 only heightens anxiety."

The organization criticized the design of Tesla Model 3, Model X, and Model S rear seats as difficult to escape from, stating, "When power is cut off, the Model X requires removing the speaker cover at the bottom of the rear door and pulling a cable, and the Model S requires lifting the rear seat floor cover to pull a cable. This structure makes it difficult to respond in urgent situations such as accidents."

They also noted, "The second-row emergency escape device, which was not present in the 2020 model, is now installed in recently released Model 3 vehicles. The structure involves removing the rubber pad at the bottom of the rear door, opening a plastic cover containing a manual opening device, and pulling a cable inside to open the door," but criticized, "It remains questionable whether the vehicle door can be easily opened within the golden time."

Finally, the organization emphasized to Tesla, "Safety measures for the 2020 Tesla Model 3 Performance vehicles sold domestically must be promptly implemented as a priority."