Nightmare Situation as Tesla Dies in Heatwave, Trapping Toddler Inside
In Scottsdale, Arizona, Renee Sanchez encountered a terrifying situation when her Tesla’s battery died with her 20-month-old granddaughter trapped inside on a hot day. Unable to open the vehicle due to the dead battery, which disabled both her phone key and card key, Sanchez quickly called 911. The firefighters who arrived initially struggled to access the car, famously noting the difficulty with Teslas, but proceeded to break a window to rescue the toddler, causing distress to the child amidst the chaos.
Sanchez expressed both relief at her granddaughter’s safety and frustration towards Tesla, suggesting the company failed to provide a warning that the battery was low as promised. Criticism was also aimed at Tesla’s design choices, specifically their electronic door latches, which lacked reliable emergency overrides. This incident highlighted broader concerns about the safety protocols and emergency education regarding electric vehicles, especially for first responders. The narrative calls into question Tesla’s commitment to safety over more superficial technological appeal, igniting discussions on the need for better-prepared emergency responses for electric vehicle incidents. The importance of federal standards for vehicle safety features was underscored to prevent such dangerous situations.
By Jack Davis June 22, 2024 at 8:38am
When the battery on a Tesla dies, the interior can be little more than a giant oven for someone trapped inside, as an Arizona woman learned.
Renee Sanchez recently learned how quickly owning an EV can turn into a horrifying experience on a scorching Arizona day as the Scotttsdale woman planned to take her 20-month-old granddaughter into her car seat for a trip to the Phoenix Zoo, according to KPHO-TV.
“And I closed the door, went around the car, get in the front seat, and my car was dead,” she said. “I could not get in. My phone key wouldn’t open it. My card key wouldn’t open it.”
Sanchez called 911. Scottsdale firefighters responded.
“And when they got here, the first thing they said was, ‘Uggh, it’s a Tesla. We can’t get in these cars,’” she said. “And I said, ‘I don’t care if you have to cut my car in half. Just get her out.’”
Firefighters took an ax to a window, taping it first to minimize flying glass.
As the process played out, the toddler began to panic.
“She was OK for the first few minutes,” Sanchez said. “But as soon as the firemen came and all the commotion started and the windows getting broken into, she started crying because she was scared.”
Eventually, the girl was pulled free.
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“After I knew she was safe, then the anger,” Sanchez said. “Then, all the thoughts of, oh my God, this could have been so much worse.”
Although Tesla is supposed to give owners a warning when the battery is ready to die, Sanchez said, and the Tesla service department backed her up, that she received none.
“When that battery goes, you’re dead in the water,” she said.
She said she is reconsidering her faith in Tesla.
“I give Tesla props. When it works, it’s great. But when it doesn’t, it can be deadly,” Sanchez said.
Tesla does have a method to get out of a car if its battery dies, but that’s not much help when a toddler is the only one inside the vehicle, according to CarScoops. There is also a method of jump-starting the vehicle, but it requires knowing how to do that.
“They need to educate the first responders because they had no idea,” Sanchez said. “They were as much in the dark as I was.”
EV expert Mike Klimkosky said first responders must educate themselves, according to Fortune.
“It’s the responsibility of the fire department to educate themselves,” Klimkosky said.
But Michael Brooks, the executive director for the Center for Auto Safety, said Tesla is to blame.
“It’s not the firefighters’ fault that Tesla chose electronic door latches that don’t have proper emergency safeguards,” he said.
“When there’s not a federal standard that specifies how these vehicles are to be made, Tesla very rarely chooses routes that are safe,” Brooks said. “They’re usually choosing something glitzy: safety comes last.”
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