Rivian is changing the door handle design on its upcoming R2 SUV after employees and customers raised safety concerns, according to Bloomberg News.
The automaker is one of many that has leaned into electronically-latched door handles over the last few years. While this allows for sleeker presentation and more aerodynamic design, it often results in the automaker tucking the manual emergency door releases away in hard-to-find places.
On the R2, which comes out next year, Rivian will now put the interior manual releases in a “more clearly visible” location closer to the electrically-powered door handles, Bloomberg reports.
The design change comes amid a wave of scrutiny around electronic door handles. Bloomberg recently published a report about Tesla owners and passengers getting stuck in their vehicles because of the company’s hard-to-find manual releases. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation, and Tesla has since said it is redesigning how those work.
Earlier this year, Ford issued a recall and stopped the sale of its Mustang Mach-E because its electronic latches could get stuck in a locked position if the car’s 12-volt battery died.
