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NHTSA Begins Work On New Car Door-Handle Rules After Bloomberg's Tesla Report

Zero Rss
2 months 2 weeks ago
NHTSA Begins Work On New Car Door-Handle Rules After Bloomberg's Tesla Report

Auto-safety regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will begin considering new federal requirements for vehicle door handles and emergency-release systems following a series of deadly incidents in which occupants became trapped after electrically operated doors lost power.

NHTSA said an inaccessible or difficult-to-locate mechanical release could prevent occupants from escaping after a crash or fire, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. The agency granted a petition seeking "a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles" and will begin rulemaking proceedings.

The filing states in the "Action" section that NHTSA has denied a petition to open a defect investigation, offering a near-term reprieve for Tesla and other EV automakers that use similar flush-mounted electronic door handles. However, what comes next from the agency will be an industrywide rulemaking process covering emergency door-egress systems.

"A decision as to the issuance of a rule will be made on the basis of all available information developed in the course of the rulemaking proceeding, in accordance with statutory criteria," the filing said.

The action follows what Bloomberg says has been 15 deaths in a dozen or so accidents in which occupants or rescuers were reportedly unable to open the doors of crashed and burning Teslas. In several cases, occupants survived the initial impact but died or suffered serious injuries after becoming trapped.

Meanwhile on Reddit...

We reported as early as October 2019 on the "futuristic" door handle blamed for the death of a 48-year-old man driving a Tesla Model S in South Florida.

NHTSA declined to open a Tesla-specific defect investigation, citing only one complaint among 179,031 vehicles and concluding that the issue would be better addressed through industrywide regulation. The agency noted that the Model 3 has mechanical releases for its front doors but not its rear doors.

NHTSA noted, "The owner's manual for the 2022 MY Tesla Model 3 includes a section labeled "In Case of Emergency" that details how to open doors from the interior when the vehicle has no electrical power." 

The rulemaking process could take years and may face industry opposition over additional costs. The decision adds to mounting regulatory pressure, including a congressional proposal requiring manual releases and first-responder access, as well as a NHTSA investigation into complaints of children becoming trapped inside certain Tesla Model Y vehicles.

One has to wonder what Bloomberg hoped its reporting would trigger: a sweeping Tesla defect finding or recall.

That is not what NHTSA delivered. The agency denied the defect petition and shifted the broader issue into a lengthy, industrywide rulemaking process.

Perhaps the outcome would have looked different under a Kamala Harris administration.

Tyler Durden Thu, 07/23/2026 - 14:50
Tyler Durden

US Lays Groundwork For Approving Offshore Nuclear Power Projects

Zero Rss
2 months 2 weeks ago
US Lays Groundwork For Approving Offshore Nuclear Power Projects

Authored by Melanie Sun via The Epoch Times,

The U.S. federal government has outlined a preliminary framework to oversee the approval of offshore nuclear power projects, advancing President Donald Trump's agenda to safely unleash domestic energy production and reestablish the United States as the global leader in nuclear energy.

Birds fly along the Pacific Ocean near the dry fuel storage of canisters containing spent nuclear fuel at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) along the Pacific Ocean south of San Clemente in San Diego County, Calif.., on June 9, 2023. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

"While no commercial deployment on the Outer Continental Shelf is planned or approved at this time, it could greatly strengthen America's energy security in the future," Matt Giacona, acting director of the Interior Department's Marine Minerals Administration, said in announcing the initiative on July 22.

The Marine Minerals Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) released an agreement on Wednesday that lays the groundwork for a more "detailed cooperative framework" outlining jurisdictional oversight for development of offshore nuclear power projects in "a safe and environmentally responsible way."

The memorandum of understanding between the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), which oversees energy projects in federal waters of the outer continental shelf, and the federal government's independent civilian nuclear regulator will "foster cooperation" and "allow shared technical expertise to ensure reviews are efficient and transparent," the NRC said in a statement.

Director of the NRC's Office of Advanced Reactors Jeremy Bowen said the agreement "creates a clear framework for how our agencies will work together and ensures our processes remain efficient, transparent, and technically robust."

"The agreement will also allow MMA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to responsibly respond to industry requests, supporting novel offshore energy production," the MMA added.

The MMA also oversees offshore development such as seabed mining and space launch infrastructure.

Restoring Energy Abundance

The announcement is the latest step taken by the federal government as the president pushes forward with his agenda to quadruple U.S. nuclear power capacity by 2050 and restore American energy abundance.

The president declared a national energy emergency upon returning to office and has since signed numerous executive orders to achieve this goal, including licensing 10 new reactors by 2030.

Leaders in the energy sector have warned that significant investments are needed to address the increasing shortfalls in domestic power supply, as experienced during the recent summer heat waves, when grid operators were forced to issue warnings of potential outages due to inadequate resources to meet peak energy demand.

In March, major U.S. tech companies agreed to build their own electricity generation infrastructure to power their data center operations. They also pledged to help triple global nuclear capacity by 2050.

New Reactor Designs

The Trump administration's effort to speed the safe deployment of advanced nuclear technologies reached an early milestone in July, when three reactor designs achieved criticality.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, many countries are working to develop small modular reactors, including concepts suited for marine or floating applications. Russia is the only country currently operating a floating nuclear power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov. Located in the country's far east, it has been in operation since 2020.

Regarding the offshore use of nuclear technologies, Giacona said the military has safely relied on submerged reactor systems in ships and submarines for decades, calling them a "reliable source of energy in demanding marine environments."

A technician monitors Natura Resources’ MSR-1 molten salt research reactor in Lockhart, Texas, in 2024. The reactor is the first liquid-fueled advanced reactor ever licensed and the first university research reactor approved in more than 30 years. Courtesy of Natura Resources Tyler Durden Thu, 07/23/2026 - 14:30
Tyler Durden

Watch: Ukraine, Iran Tensions Run High In Rare Rubio-Lavrov Meeting

Zero Rss
2 months 2 weeks ago
Watch: Ukraine, Iran Tensions Run High In Rare Rubio-Lavrov Meeting

A US delegation headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio is holding three day closed-door talks with Russia on the sidelines of an annual gathering by foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Manila.

The high point came in a rare direct Rubio-Lavrav meeting, where the US top diplomat said Russia should have the incentive to end a "very blood war" that has devastated both sides.

Rubio admitted that so far there's been an "unsuccessful or at least unfruitful" effort to end the war and find peace, but insisted the Trump administration is committed to finding a lasting solution "if conditions and factors have changed to make that possible."

"That’s been the challenge, an end that both sides can accept," Rubio said to reporters. "And we’ve tried and we’ll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself."

One of the more interesting moments came when FM Lavrov and Secretary Rubio ignored reporters' questions on whether Russia will agree to stop attacking Ukraine, in the wake of the obvious recent escalations of missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital...

Looks like an *American staffer* runs press out of the room as soon as the 'awkward' but still relevant questions were asked.

A reporter asks Marco Rubio whether he will ask Foreign Minister Lavrov about Russia helping Iran target U.S. troops. Another reporter asks Lavrov when will Russia stop attacking Ukraine. A staffer then removes the press from the room. pic.twitter.com/N7I7ZBVQOE

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 23, 2026

Lavrov underscored in the meeting "the unacceptability of further arming" Ukraine and accused European countries of pursuing Russia's "strategic defeat."

The Kremlin has of late warned the West of its growing direct involvement in targeting Russian energy sits as part of Ukraine's long-range drone operations, which have unleashed serious damage on oil production and export infrastructure. 

Lavrov also declared Russia’s readiness for "a political and diplomatic resolution of the conflict" and the upholding of commitment to agreements reached at last year's Alaska summit between Trump and Putin.

But Rubio threw up a significant roadblock and challenge, stressing on the question of arming Ukraine, "There’s been no change to our policy in that regard." But he also again said: "We want a peace deal. We want the war to end."

Another interesting and tense moment came when reporters raised the issue of recent widespread allegations that Russia is arming Iran and helping it with targeting information.

Rubio was clearly trying to not make this an issue at the summit and somewhat surprisingly strongly pushed back against the reports...

Reporter: Did you talk to the Russians about Russia sharing information with Iran targeting U.S. troops?

Rubio: Who says that they are?

Reporter: Are they not?

Rubio: Who says they are?

Reporter: There's been reporting...

Rubio: Reporting in the media? Oh, then it must be… pic.twitter.com/YERHdknMrC

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 23, 2026

Reuters and others had reported Wednesday, "Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf have prompted U.S. intelligence analysts to investigate whether Russia assisted by providing targeting information or ​advanced drone technology, said four people familiar with U.S. intelligence."

"These people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters, said U.S. intelligence officials have ‌not yet reached firm conclusions about the possible Russian involvement in the attacks on CIA facilities. But they cited the strikes' effectiveness and apparent precision, as well as Russia's broader technical support for Iran, as possible evidence," the Reuters report added.

Some analysts have pointed out that Moscow is inflicting 'payback' on the United States related to its having armed Ukraine for many years. US intelligence has been assisting Ukraine forces with targeting information. So the logic goes that Russia is now doing the same for Iran in the ratcheting Mideast conflict.

Tyler Durden Thu, 07/23/2026 - 14:10
Tyler Durden

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