It was a tense situation when emergency services had to resort to using an axe to free a child from a Tesla after the vehicle’s battery unexpectedly died. Renee Sanchez of Scottsdale, Arizona, shared her alarming experience which began as a routine day planned at Phoenix Zoo with her 20-month-old granddaughter. She carefully secured the toddler in a car seat inside her Tesla and shut the door, but when she attempted to enter the driver’s seat, she found herself locked out.
“I closed the door, went around the car to get in the front seat and my car was dead,” Sanchez told On Your Side. “I could not get in, my phone key wouldn’t open it, my car key wouldn’t open it.” Realizing the gravity of the situation with the flat battery and on a hot day, she immediately called for emergency help.
Upon their arrival, Scottsdale firefighters were reportedly surprised to deal with a Tesla. “I said, I don’t care if you have to cut my car in half just get her out,” Sanchez recounted. In their effort to rescue the child, firefighters taped one of the vehicle’s windows and shattered it with an axe.
The noise and activity understandably distressed the young girl inside the car. Fortunately, the firefighters managed to safely extract her from the vehicle, and she was even given a hard hat as a token of her bravery during the ordeal.
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After the incident, an upset Sanchez voiced her concerns to On Your Side. “That’s the thing – when that battery goes you’re dead in the water,” she said, highlighting the need for better education among first responders when dealing with electric vehicles, as they seemed as puzzled as she was.
Sanchez also urged Tesla to develop a straightforward solution for unlocking car doors when the 12-volt battery fails. “I give Tesla props; when it works, it’s great. But when it doesn’t, it can be deadly,” she added.
Reportedly, Tesla vehicles are supposed to notify the owner with three separate warnings when the battery is running low. However, the Tesla Service Department acknowledged a glitch and confirmed that Sanchez did not receive any such warnings.
The Tesla Owners Manual does mention that there is a manual release latch inside the vehicle, situated at the front of the window switches. This could be a crucial exit method in such scenarios, though it was not feasible in Sanchez’s case from outside the vehicle.
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Teslin Roadside Assistance is available around the clock, every day of the year, as long as the warranty lasts, offering help and information through roadside service professionals.