My son used the R2 emergency door handle release for the first time yesterday.

[srkz]

You sure? Normal handles are all double pull when locked these days. You're welcome for the education.

Not all makes. European cars are mostly double pull, Honda and Toyota and others are single pull to unlock and unlatch. You’re welcome for the clarification?

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[srkz]

Not necessarily true, that may just be because you and I grew up in a time where most cars had very uniform handles. Kids born today may primarily experience E-latches and find them very intuitive with regular handles being archaic.

I guess we’ll see over the next few years, but I have my doubts. China having banned “power-dependent” door releases from 2027 and being the de-facto global leader in EVs at the moment, as well as a similar bill making its way through the US government as we speak so far with unanimous bipartisan support. I think this will be more of a quirky blip in history, like the motorized automatic shoulder seatbelts of the 1980s and early 90s. Only time will tell though!

 

[Supratachophobia]

Still a bad design, you cannot change my mind.

 

[KBabione]

Who’s gonna take one for the team and show us opening the door with that pull at speed?

Isn't this the purpose of a "test" drive?

I don't recall reading "Thou shalt not pull the emergency door release mechanism while moving" when I signed the iPad, therefore it must be allowed.

 

[CrazyOne]

If it doesn't open once car locks, that creates a very bad situation for kids to be trapped inside. Cars are designed to always open from inside, even when it suspects a break in. These features are common in other countries, but banned in US. Idk how this basic thing got through.

Google:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enforces strict Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS 206). This standard mandates that any person inside a vehicle must be able to mechanically override and open the doors from the inside to escape a fire or crash—even if the car is turned off and locked from the outside.

 

[macb00kemdanno]

If it doesn't open once car locks, that creates a very bad situation for kids to be trapped inside. Cars are designed to always open from inside, even when it suspects a break in. These features are common in other countries, but banned in US. Idk how this basic thing got through.

Google:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enforces strict Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS 206). This standard mandates that any person inside a vehicle must be able to mechanically override and open the doors from the inside to escape a fire or crash—even if the car is turned off and locked from the outside.

OP already said he tried it and it opens with a double button press.

 

[sparked]

OP already said he tried it and it opens with a double button press.

and a six year old can pull the cord for the emergency release that also bypasses the locks. So more than one option to get out when locked.

 

[Millbarge]

wait till you all hear about 1980s Japanese cars where you had to hold the handle to ensure the car locked when closing the doors......

 

[macb00kemdanno]

Jason Fenske brings some levity to the whole “fancy” door handles situation

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1LspFniep1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

[portdirect]

Sure, and I bet in a software release or two we'll see the release notes say "fixed a rare issue causing the door to stay locked when pressing the e-latch when no key is detected" or something like that. Just because one person reports something doesn't mean it's intended behavior. It also could have been user error. Did the kid press multiple times? Did he press in quick enough succession? All I'm saying is that if something seems ridiculous and unsafe, chances are it's not meant to be that way or you're missing part of the picture.

I’d not be so sure. Our gen2 R1 often goes to sleep when unlocked - and takes a couple of sends to wake back up again to let the door open, it’s annoying but totally livable for us - for a six year old however 1 second can feel like 5 years…

Im not that worried about the interior situation - in R2 are the exterior handles gen1 style (aka mechanical) or gen1 style (aka a fancy lever for a switch). That is the bit that has always troubled me, and also the configuration that is now being banned in places like china. I’m much more worried in a crash that someone is unable to get us out of the car than if we are still conscious and able to get ourselves out.

 

[CrazyOne]

Yup- I get that. FWIW a rep at the Rivian store says that applies the the service release too. That the doors cannot be opened by "any" method if the car is moving or if the redundant power is still being supplied.

Something waiting to trap someone, if true. Everything breaks. What if cars computer freezes and thinks car is moving?

 

[Vik]

I think there is more benefit there than just cost savings (which may or may not be real once you factor in the electronic components vs. mechanical, I have no idea). For instance, you can engage child locks in real time from the front seat or have the car override child locks in the case of an accident.

You can also (although I haven't seen anyone do this yet, but all the pieces are there) trigger a warning if a person/bike/vehicle is approaching the path of the door opening and make the person click again to force the issue. I have to imagine that significantly more people are hurt by getting hit with a surprise door opening than are by being trapped because the electronic lock didn't work properly.

A Gen 1 R1 with child locks on will require the rear passengers to use the manual latch in all cases. However, a Gen 2 R1 or R2 would utilize the power redundancy and automatically unlock via the button. I wonder if this has been validated in crash testing at all.

 

[zakool21]

I don't have kids, so can someone help me understand this? If your child locks are enabled, any other vehicle without a manual release would be un-openable from the back seats. Why is this suddenly a problem now that it's in the context of a manual release?

You can brief your adult occupants and your older kids if this is a problem.

 

[maba2366]

It's all well and good in a non emergency situation like your son was in. However imagine trying to open the door with those releases in a car that is flipped over, on fire or some other situation where you need to exit quickly. This design is flat out dangerous, it should use the same handle as the e handle, but when you pull it out further against some resistance it engages a manual release.

 

[zakool21]

In any other car, if you had a child lock on, there’s zero escape from the backseat.

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