The design and accessibility of emergency manual door releases in electric vehicles have become a significant concern for occupant safety, particularly highlighted by issues in models from manufacturers like Tesla and Rivian. While Tesla has faced complaints regarding its hidden and hard-to-find emergency door handles, especially during panic situations, rival EV-maker Rivian is taking proactive steps to address similar concerns with a new interior door handle design for its upcoming R2 series.

The fundamental issue arises from the widespread adoption of electric door openers in modern cars, SUVs, and trucks. When a vehicle loses power, these electric systems become inoperable, necessitating a manual release. However, manufacturers often prioritize interior design aesthetics over the intuitive placement of these critical safety features. Manual release mechanisms or pull cords are frequently concealed for the sake of 'vanity,' leading to them being difficult to locate and operate in an emergency. Although labels are often present, they can blend into the door panel's design and color, becoming visually lost when occupants are in a state of panic. Chevrolet's C6 Corvette, with its electronic door openers, also experienced similar challenges upon its introduction.

Rivian's current R1 series, including the R1S SUV and R1T truck, exemplifies this problem. For the rear doors of the R1 series, the emergency manual door release is notably obscure and difficult to access. It requires removing an unlabeled panel before a cord can be pulled, a process detailed on page 422 of the owner's manual. This contrasts sharply with the front doors, which feature a much more visible and accessible manual release mechanism. Concerns over these design choices have been raised internally by Rivian staff and have come amid broader investigations into Tesla's manual release issues.

In response to these challenges and internal feedback, Rivian is utilizing the development of its R2 series products to implement a redesigned interior door handle system. Details from a Bloomberg report suggest that the new manual release for the rear doors of the 2026 R2 EV SUV will be located closer to and be more visible than the current R1 version, reportedly mimicking the more accessible design found in the R1's front doors. While exact images of the finalized R2 interior are yet to be revealed, the current concept suggests there is room to integrate a visible manual release within the door-pull pocket in the armrest.

Beyond individual manufacturer solutions, there is a growing consensus that federal regulations need to be strengthened. Clearer rules regarding emergency manual door releases within the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are deemed long overdue. Such updates would ensure that all automotive manufacturers prioritize occupant safety by making these essential emergency features universally accessible and intuitive, regardless of vehicle power status or interior design choices.