The cables are cheap, designing a door latch system to be easy to install/cheap to manufacture is not. Why do you think all parking brakes on all ICE vehicles have turned electric now?
Every car with frameless windows does this without the need for a death-trap electric door release, i work in McLarens and the windows will drop if the battery gets low so you can open the vertical doors with a dead battery.
Frameless windows are aesthetically pleasing to many people. Tesla aren’t alone in that preference, they are just one of the few brands that use frameless by default even on the lowest end vehicles they sell, so there’s a higher number out there.
There were plenty of older frameless doors where the door itself opens mechanically and the window lowers slightly. A lot of the older subarus for example.
What's special about Tesla (or any of the other newer cars with full electrical door opening mechanisms) that makes this not an option?
A lot of cars have electronically controlled doors.
It’s due to the frameless windows. Opening the door requires the windows to roll down slightly to avoid damage to the outer trim.
The doors still have a mechanical release so there’s no cost savings involved. For the front door they’re right next to the electronic release. For the rear doors they’re hidden under the passenger door pocket.
Edit: to everyone replying I never said it was a necessity. I explained why they did it. I’m aware of alternate approaches.
Not necessarily. Many cars have manual doors and frameless windows. A 1996 Subaru comes to mind. Tesla could easily make the windows dip when a mechanical handle was activated.
Electronic door latches are fine, it’s the backup mechanism that is the problem. Some cars have the mechanical alternate forward of the electrical release such that if you are grabbing frantically you would eventually pull it. This still looks minimal if that is more important than safety.
To make the marks they're selling the death sedans to feel like they have something special until the vape batteries under the car spontaneously combust and roast them like a gas station hotdog
I always thought it was a luxury item like soft close doors on high end luxury cars. Supposed to feel premium compared to actually pulling a mechanical handle.