Advice

How to Exit an Electric Car if the Battery Dies

By 08/06/2024 12:56pm
Emergency door release on Fiat 500e

It can be startling to see news reports of occupants unable to exit their vehicles because of dead batteries or social media posts from drivers upset over being “trapped” inside their electric cars. Potentially frightening situations can occur when these criteria are met:

  1. The EV features electronic door releases.
  2. The car has a dead battery.
  3. Its driver doesn’t know how to use or where to locate the manual backup door latch.

Electric cars — primarily Tesla models — receive most of the negative attention around doors not opening with a dead battery. However, vehicles equipped with electronic door releases instead of having a manual lever are becoming more common in all automobiles.

So, how do you exit an electric car if the battery dies? You follow the instructions in the owner’s manual. The same goes for any automobile with a button to unlatch the door from the inside electronically.

RELATED: How To Jump-Start an Electric Car Battery

How to Manually Open Electronic Car Doors

Knowing how to open a car door manually becomes crucial if the vehicle has an electronic button release system and the 12-volt battery that powers accessories is dead. When working correctly, the button signals an electric motor to unlatch the door. If the driver or passenger depresses the button and nothing happens, they must use the manual emergency release.

While automakers don’t intentionally hide the mechanical release location, the physical lever isn’t necessarily prominent, especially when an occupant is in a stressful or chaotic emergency situation. When you enter a car with a door button instead of a traditional mechanical door handle, familiarize yourself with the manual door release placement.

  • Review the owner’s manual if it’s your new car, a rental, or a loaner.
  • Ask the driver for the location of the emergency release if you’re in a rideshare or riding in a friend’s vehicle.

Overriding Electronic Interior Door Release

Cars with buttons that electronically unlatch doors also have backup manual release levers to use when the system fails. The location of the manual door release varies by automaker and is specified in the owner’s manual.

Common locations for emergency levers are inside the door storage pocket or on the floor next to the seat. Refer to the vehicle’s documentation to understand how to use the mechanical backup method for opening the door to exit the car.