According to Bloomberg News, Libian is changing the door handle design of its upcoming R2 SUVs after employees and customers raised safety concerns.
Automakers are one of many that have leaned against electronically latched door handles in recent years. This allows for sophisticated presentations and more aerodynamic designs, but in many cases, manual emergency doors are released where automakers find difficulties.
With the R2 coming next year, Libian will be placing interior manual releases in a “more clearly visible” location close to the electric door handle, Bloomberg reports.
The design changes come even in the wave of scrutiny over electronic door handles. Bloomberg recently published a report that Tesla owners and passengers were trapped in cars due to the company’s hard-to-find manual release. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation, and Tesla has since redesigned those features.
Earlier this year, Ford issued a recall and stopped selling the Mustang Mach-E as the electronic latch could be trapped in a locked position if the car’s 12-volt battery dies.
