Rivian has shown how it has reworked the manual door releases on its upcoming R2 SUV after criticism across the industry that electronic door handles can be hard to find and use in emergencies. First-look videos released on Tuesday show that the company has kept electronic buttons for opening the doors but has moved the manual releases to more visible positions, especially for rear passengers, compared with the current R1 models.
Front And Rear Door Layout
On the R2, the front doors open from the inside in the same way as on the existing R1 vehicles. There is an electronic button to open the door, and a manual release latch is placed in the front part of the interior handle. The rear doors also use an electronic button, but Rivian has changed how the manual release works.
On R1 vehicles, rear passengers have to pull a panel off the door to reach a release cord that operates the manual latch. On the R2, Rivian has moved that release cord to the same front-of-the-handle position used for the front doors. The cord is still behind a piece of plastic that has to be popped out, which makes it harder to access than the front door manual release, but it is no longer hidden behind a separate panel.
Access In A Power Loss Scenario
The R2 is not expected to enter production for a few months, and Rivian has not yet published formal instructions on how to use the rear manual release. A video by JerryRigEverything’s Zack Nelson shows the location of the release behind the plastic cover, even though he does not pull the cord itself. The setup is meant for situations in which the vehicle loses power and the electronic door release does not work.
The manual release remains less obvious than a traditional mechanical handle, but it sits in a more logical place than before. In crashes, time can matter, and access to a working manual release can affect how quickly occupants or rescuers can open a door.
Industry Context And Safety Pressure
Rivian is not the only company changing its approach. Tesla has faced scrutiny after Bloomberg News reported at least 15 deaths in crashes where there was evidence that occupants or rescuers could not open the doors. Tesla has said it will change how it designs its handles to address the issue.
Electronic door latches have also created other problems. Last year, Ford issued a recall to fix a power delivery problem affecting the electronic door latches on the Mustang Mach-E. The changes shown on the R2 place Rivian among the manufacturers adjusting designs as attention increases on how doors can be opened when electronic systems fail.
Featured image credits: Phillip Faraone via Manufacturing Dive
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