‘No way to open it,’ fumes EV driver locked in car while it was fully charged – ‘reverse logic’ means you get no warning

A TESLA driver has detailed her maddening experience after she was locked inside her fully-charged car.

Diane, who owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y, said the doors automatically locked behind her after an accessory battery in the EV died.

KPHO

KPHO

She told Phoenix-based CBS affiliate KPHO about her enraging experience and said she only found a solution because she didn’t panic.

Before the door troubles, the owner said she loved her car .

“It’s a fun car to drive,” she told the station.

However, the door lock drama has raised some questions.

She was shocked to encounter the car maintenance issues.

“It was fully charged,” she said. “I unplugged the car, went to get in my car, shut the door and everything just shut down. I couldn’t open the windows. I couldn’t unlock the doors. I was trapped.”

She turned to help inside the vehicle, reaching for the glovebox to read the owner’s manual.

However, the digitized cabin storage area was also defunct, she said.

Diane called a neighborhood friend, hoping they could pry open the vehicle.

They were unsuccessful.

“He came over. He couldn’t figure it out,” she said.

“He says there’s no way to open the car from the outside.”

Diane used her phone to call for roadside assistance in the Tesla app.

The driver was notified that the car has multiple batteries built into the vehicle’s underbelly.

Electric vehicles vs gas

Pros and cons of EVs vs gasoline-powered vehicles

EV PROS:

• Convenient (when charging at home)
• Cheaper (depending on state or city)
• Cheaper maintenance, due to lack of mechanical parts
• Great for commuting
• Reduced CO2 emissions
• Federal and state tax incentives
• More performance (speed, handling – depending on the make and model)

EV CONS:

• Higher initial cost
• Higher insurance rates
• More frequent tire and brake replacement intervals
• Higher curb weight (thus causing more rapid wear on crucial parts)
• Low resale value
• High depreciation rates
• Lack of charging infrastructure
• Unreliable public charging (related: slow charging times)
• Poor winter and summer performance
• Lack of clean energy alternatives means more “dirty energy” from coal and nuclear sources
• Range anxiety

GAS PROS:

• Highly developed refueling infrastructure
• Fast refueling
• Cheaper insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
• Established repair industry
• Lower initial cost
• Higher range before refueling, especially with hybrids
• Many manufacturers produce nearly emission-less engines
• Cheaper refueling, depending on the location

GAS CONS:

• Finite resource (related: heavy dependence on petroleum)
• Carbon emissions/greenhouse gases
• Higher repair costs
• Higher insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
• Varying costs at the pump, depending on state, city, and county

Source: Car & Driver , Perch Energy , AutoWeek

Two electric motors power the drivetrain. A third, smaller battery controls all of the accessory elements of the car, including the doors, windows, and glovebox.

Experts told the driver her smaller battery likely died.

Diane said the doors shouldn’t lock when the smaller device loses power.

“It seems that the default for when you lose power should be windows and doors open, not lock,” she argues.

“It should be the reverse logic. That I don’t understand.”

Experts with the company advised her to use a manual door handle hidden inside the frame.

A small plastic lever is located inside the armrest pull, she found.

Diane said the manual safety lever should be better labeled in case of emergency.

The U.S. Sun reached out to Tesla for comment on this story. The company didn’t immediately respond.