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Tesla Model S doors wouldn't unlock as driver burned to death inside...
Sky News ^ | 24 October 2019 | unknown

Posted on 10/24/2019 3:40:43 PM PDT by fruser1

A doctor in Florida burned to death because the battery in his Tesla burst into flames and the car's futuristic door handles wouldn't allow a police officer to rescue him, according to a legal complaint.

Dr Omar Awan died in February after his Tesla hit a palm tree.

...part of the design of the Tesla Model S is to retract the door handles into the car and they then "auto-present" and pop out when the car's key fob is detected nearby.

However, the handles malfunctioned and people were not able to open the doors

Dr Awan had no broken bones or other injuries resulting from the crash.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: automotive; electric; elonmusk; florida; floridaman; horrorshow; hugelawsuit; models; nonsmokingvehicle; tesla
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To: Zhang Fei

He’s dead.


41 posted on 10/24/2019 4:11:00 PM PDT by VTenigma (The Democrat party is the party of the mathematically challenged)
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To: DannyTN
Tesla has insurance for stuff like this.

Yes, but they don't have insurance to protect themselves against people who won't buy their cars if they are perceived as death traps.

42 posted on 10/24/2019 4:11:53 PM PDT by KevinB ("Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge." - Charles Darwin)
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To: fruser1

It seemed like a good idea at the time.


43 posted on 10/24/2019 4:12:35 PM PDT by miserare ( Indict Hillary!)
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To: fruser1

Was he about to testify against a democrat?


44 posted on 10/24/2019 4:12:59 PM PDT by RealVirginia
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To: frank ballenger

I remember when these cars first started showing up as prototypes, on the road, in the 90’s, in CA. The OC Register published a story, how the firefighters said they would refuse to respond to the scene of an accident, involving a battery powered car. Then the electric vehicle manufacturer’s association made a large donation to the union’s pension fund. Just like that . . . the problem disappeared.


45 posted on 10/24/2019 4:13:33 PM PDT by jttpwalsh
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To: jttpwalsh

...not Teslas, generic electric cars.


46 posted on 10/24/2019 4:14:19 PM PDT by jttpwalsh
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To: fruser1

Well,as I always say...there’s a Tesla buyer born every minute.


47 posted on 10/24/2019 4:15:08 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (A joke: Brennan,Comey and Lynch walk into a Barr...)
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To: crosdaddy

“....part of the design of the Tesla Model S is to retract the door handles into the car and they then “auto-present” and pop out when the car’s key fob is detected nearby......”

If the policeman breaks the window and the door handle does not “auto-present” how does he pull the driver out?

Maybe he could break the entire window, unhook the drivers seatbelt, and pull him through the window. That is a lot to do in the time it takes for the fire to spread in a car interior, if he figured it all out.

The design of the car seems unreasonably dangerous.


48 posted on 10/24/2019 4:15:45 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
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To: treetopsandroofs
but I drive a manual transmission with roll-down windows.

As a Luddite I salute you. I have a landline wall phone and no cell phone. Admit I no longer have a rotary dial on it.Do have a minute phone for car emergencies, though.

Takes so much gas driving around to look for a phone booth on the way to a video tape rental place these days. Gas runs low.

49 posted on 10/24/2019 4:16:36 PM PDT by frank ballenger (End vote fraud & harvesting,non-citizen voting & leftist media news censorship or we are finished.)
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To: fruser1

little known fact. A LOT of electric door locks on A LOT of cars have this issue, but it does not make the press.

I know MANY cases of cars going into water, shorting out the electrical system, and the occupants drowning because the electric windows don’t operate, and the doors won’t operate - due to (1) water pressure and (2) no mechanical override.


50 posted on 10/24/2019 4:17:47 PM PDT by BereanBrain
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To: fruser1
Another great design decision. Make doors that can't unlock manually.

That would be a horrible design, but according to this article about another Model S fire, the doors CAN be opened manually.

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/02/28/tesla-fiery-crash-closer-look-door-locks/

The interior mechanism is essentially a traditional-style door release pull with two stops. The first stop triggers an electronic door release, and opens the door. Open to full extension, and a mechanical door release operates, even if there's a loss of power — it isn't confusing to operate.

51 posted on 10/24/2019 4:18:04 PM PDT by TChad
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To: treetopsandroofs

Perhaps it got too hot too fast for anyone to get near it, and the enterprising lawyer thinks his version sounds better for more $$.

...

Good point. We’re only getting one side of the story. I do remember the doctor was driving recklessly on an otherwise safe street. At least he didn’t injure or kill anyone else.


52 posted on 10/24/2019 4:18:16 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Charity comes from wealth.)
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To: DiogenesLamp
There are videos on youtube showing what happens when you damage a lithium ion battery.

My personal favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj7wQfxKLQo

53 posted on 10/24/2019 4:18:30 PM PDT by The Pack Knight
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To: frank ballenger
Also, Neil Young’s several electric cars had fires

Yup, and he not only lost the LincVolt, into which he had poured over a million dollars, but also lost in the fire decades of his memorabilia that he stored in the same warehouse. Man, I love much of Neil's music, but he is a total dumb ass on so many things.

54 posted on 10/24/2019 4:19:13 PM PDT by KevinB ("Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge." - Charles Darwin)
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To: Redcitizen

I guess I’m just way too paranoid about that kinda thing. I carry a safety hammer in my driver-side door pouch.That said, Tesla’s gonna feel some pain on this one IF this story is true.


55 posted on 10/24/2019 4:19:18 PM PDT by Retrofitted
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To: treetopsandroofs

It was persistent for sure;

From another article:

..After the crash, and after firefighters extinguished the blaze,
Awan’s Tesla was transported to a tow yard. Once there, it
reignited and burned again..

https://www.oregonlive.com/nation/2019/10/florida-man-died-in-a-burning-tesla-because-its-futuristic-doors-wouldnt-open-lawsuit-alleges.html


56 posted on 10/24/2019 4:20:25 PM PDT by deport
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To: clamper1797

Forget the human, that’s just a late term abortion to the left wing gia worshipping marxist.

Probably get a lawsuit for too much carbon being emmitted.

The Obama or Clinton judge probably rules Tesla now has to start building smokeless cars with self scrubber technology, in the event future instances.

There,problem solved.

Then the judge and left wing population would go to bed thinking how much better they have made the world.


57 posted on 10/24/2019 4:20:49 PM PDT by patriotfury ((May the fleas of a thousand camels occupy mo' ham mads tents!))
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To: The Pack Knight

Just...Dang....


58 posted on 10/24/2019 4:21:58 PM PDT by Redcitizen (Tagline not secure.)
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To: fruser1

front inside door opening handle is purely mechanical


59 posted on 10/24/2019 4:22:03 PM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric Cartman voice* 'I love you, guys')
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To: Eddie01

We have automotive customers at our company that grill us to use DFMEA. So it is hard to understand how Tesla could have a design like this.
Ive seen other car companies that have had similar catasrophies that seem could have been avoided if they did their DFMEA properly.
A real head scratcher for us.


60 posted on 10/24/2019 4:22:32 PM PDT by Bob Mc
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