The Anonymous Widower

Nearly Three Million Teslas Recalled In China Over Hidden Door Handles

The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

Minimalistic door handles became a signature feature of electric vehicles (EVs), but the controversial designs are now at the centre of China’s biggest car recall, affecting more than 4 million vehicles.

These three paragraphs add some more details.

The recall, which includes 2.98 million Chinese-made Teslas, follows safety concerns that the hidden door handles are difficult to locate and open in emergency situations.

Other brands affected by the recall include Chinese carmakers XPeng, Xiaomi and Geely.

The recalled vehicles will have a warning label stuck on the interior door and receive a software update to automatically lower the windows in a crash.

I remember reading a story in Flight International.

  • An engineer, who worked in airliner interior design was in a Boeing 737 (?), that made a heavy landing.
  • He was also sitting by the emergency exit.
  • The emergency exit worked as it should and he was able to climb out on to the wing.
  • He then helped other passengers get out the way he had.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the magazine any more. But he felt that it might result in better design.

The principles that aircraft designers work to would appear to be much higher than those of Tesla’s car designers.

I find the idea of a hidden door handle completely stupid.

 

August 24, 2026 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Are The Boeing 737 MAX 8 Crashes Too Much Of A Coincidence?

When I was flying extensively as a private pilot, I used to follow air crash information closely. Many pilots do, as you might learn something that could be useful, even when you’re flying a humble Piper Arrow.

The two Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes have a lot in common.

  • Both airlines had a good service record.
  • Both planes had only been with their airlines for a few months.
  • Both captains were experienced pilots.
  • The planes crashed soon after takeoff, after pilots requested to return to the airport.
  • Both planes appeared to dive straight into the ground or sea.

This is too much of a coincidence for me.

I won’t speculate as to what the problem is, but I do feel that both airliners succumbed to the same design fault.

The only similar problem, I can remember is the series of incidents caused by cargo doors on DC-10 airliners in the 1970s.

American Airlines Flight 96 had the first problem in 1972 and luckily no-one was killed.

Some modifications were made, but this didn’t stop the crash outside Paris of Turkish Airlines Flight 981 in 1974, which killed all 346 people on board.

Did McDonnell Douglas and the American Authorities act as professionally as they should have?

I made a decision to never fly in a DC-10 again. I actually did, but it was eleven years later, after all the problems had been fixed.

What Will Be Trump’s Reaction?

Consider.

  • Boeing has a factory to build parts and assemble aircraft in China.
  • A lot of 737 MAX 8 airlines have been ordered by Chinese airliners.
  • China is developing an airliner called a C-919, that fits the same niche as some variants of a Boeing 737.
  • China has grounded all 737 Max 8 airliners in the country.
  • China and the USA are having trade talks over tariffs and trade.
  • Boeing is one of the largest American defence contractors.

So what will Trump tweet?

Conclusion

I won’t be flying in a Boeing 737 MAX 8 for several years.

March 11, 2019 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , | 8 Comments