“Doors are *not* automatically unlocked per design in an accident in most cars even today.”
Manual locks don’t but electric locks do.
“What I don’t think you’re getting is that these cars do not have a manual override if power to the door locks are cut or the controls fail. There’s no knob or flap you can hit or pull to open the lock mechanism.”
On the Tesla the same ‘flap’ that electrically unlocks the door from the inside also unlocks the door manually.
Er, no, electric locks don’t in much of the industry. Mostly it’s German cars and not even all of those do it. Structural integrity issues upon additional hits is why.
You might want to ask Tesla about the locking mechanism. I know for a fact it doesn’t in the Model S because my boss’s door lock solenoid failed and the flap wouldn’t unlock the door. IIRC, the mechanical door release is actually under the seat and all but impossible to get to in a crash.