Just to share a personal anecdote. The other day me and my wife were getting into an Uber that was a Model 3 and she said to me "I don't know how this door works, can you open it for me".
Sure they are not that hard to figure out but something like door handles shouldn't be something to "figure out" at all, it should be immediately obvious how to open the vehicle.
Beyond that I just dislike electronic door handles in general, yes I get the argument that an electronic handle puts less wear on the car as it can accurately actuate the door release and do it better than a human but every time I have to use a button to exit the car, I always get flashing sirens in my head going "this is a massive point of failure"
I find public transit will often use electric doors, but they will also have ways to open the door or window manually in the case of an emergency which seems like the best middleground.
That said, when has a door handle ever been a major point of failure in a personal automobile? Electric door handles on cars for less wear is a bad argument, imo. My internal skeptic says Tesla saves as much money as they can on door latches, so they need it to be electronic to remain gentle enough it won't break.
Often the emergency door mechanisms are very well labeled on public transit —- riding a train I know right away how to stop the train and get the hell out.
You may enjoy the book The Design of Everyday Things. I no longer blame people for pushing on pull doors, but the designers who failed at the appropriate cues.
The electronic door handle being a safety issue has been discussed for a very long time and to the point it's surprising it's just now getting this scrutiny. Personally, I don't want to ride in a Tesla and this is one of a few reasons.
> electronic handle puts less wear on the car as it can accurately actuate the door release and do it better than a human
More important is lessening wind resistance and noise. Tesla windows seal tightly against the moulding and they need to be lowered about a centimeter before opening or closing the door. The electronic latches do this automatically.
There is no reason why a manual handle should not be able to trigger the window motor before releasing the door catch or even pull the window down itself. There are vehicles with frameless windows that have more conventional door handles.
But I have to say that I prefer the handles on my Model S to those on the Model 3. Tesla loaned a Model 3 to me while they replaced the battery in my Model S. Even after three weeks the Model 3 handles steel seemed awkward to me.
Sure they are not that hard to figure out but something like door handles shouldn't be something to "figure out" at all, it should be immediately obvious how to open the vehicle.
Beyond that I just dislike electronic door handles in general, yes I get the argument that an electronic handle puts less wear on the car as it can accurately actuate the door release and do it better than a human but every time I have to use a button to exit the car, I always get flashing sirens in my head going "this is a massive point of failure"