There’s been numerous pushback on digital door handles recently, as a number of carmakers — especially Tesla — have been accused of creating handbook door releases too laborious to search out and entry throughout an emergency. Rivian is among the corporations that reportedly determined to vary this on its upcoming R2 SUV, and a spate of first-look movies launched Tuesday lastly give us a have a look at what the corporate has modified.
First off, the entrance doorways open from the within within the same way as in the existing R1 vehicles. There’s an digital button that opens the door, and there’s a handbook door-release latch tucked into the entrance a part of the inside deal with.
The rear doorways even have an digital button, in addition to a change to the rear handbook launch.
On R1 autos, passengers should first pull a panel off the door to entry a “launch twine” that operates the handbook latch. On the brand new R2 SUV, Rivian moved this launch twine to that very same front-of-the-handle place because the entrance seat handbook releases — although it’s nonetheless tucked behind a bit of plastic that should be popped out, making it barely more durable to entry than the entrance door handbook releases.
The R2 SUV isn’t set to enter manufacturing for an additional few months, so the corporate has not put out correct directions on how one can entry this launch. However right here’s a picture from a brand new video revealed by JerryRigEverything’s Zack Nelson:
He doesn’t pull out the precise twine, nevertheless it’s the perfect illustration I’ve seen up to now of what passengers might want to do if they’re in an R2 that has misplaced energy for no matter motive, limiting the car’s digital door launch.
The handbook launch remains to be behind a bit of plastic, and it’s not the obvious or accessible strategy to open a door from the within. But it surely’s at the least in a extra logical spot than simply being hidden behind a panel.
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June 23, 2026
These sorts of conditions don’t occur typically. However once they do, it’s usually throughout a serious crash. Meaning each second can imply the distinction between life and dying.
Rivian just isn’t alone in transforming how laborious it’s to entry the handbook releases. Probably the most high-profile instance is Tesla. Bloomberg Information discovered at least 15 deaths in crashes the place there’s proof that occupants (or rescuers) had been unable to open the doorways. The corporate has mentioned it would change the way it designs its handles with a view to handle the issue.
And digital door latches can current different points. Final 12 months, Ford needed to subject a recall to repair a power-delivery downside for the digital door latches on the Mustang Mach-E.
