Numerous Tesla owners have said they've been stuck inside their EVs after the cars suddenly lost power.

YouTuber Tom Exton claimed that his Tesla Model Y ordered him to pull over before it suddenly lost power and left him unable to exit.

Exton followed the instructions for the manual release to open the door, but he said this "somehow broke the driver's window."

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[–] 4 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

"Brake by wire" doesn't mean there isn't a mechanical linkage, just that the "primary" means of transmitting brake pressure is electrical.

Between safety regulations, liability, the the potential for a PR disaster there isn't a single road legal car for sale (yet) that doesn't have a backup hydraulic or other mechanical system -- the brakes must work if there's a catastrophic electrical failure.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

    I can't find which, but some vehicles seem to not have mechanical backup.

    EHBs can be implemented by-wire, without legacy hydraulic systems and mechanical connections. In such a case, fail-operational redundancy is implemented, allowing the vehicle to brake even if some of the brake systems fail.[1]

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake-by-wire#:~:text=Ford%2C%20General%20Motors%2C%20and%20most,Motors%20Electric%20and%20hybrid%20models.

    https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/11/4/994

    https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/981109/

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    EHBs are fairly common, but they don't preclude the use of a backup master cylinder system. A pure EHB has been a "goal" for a long time since eliminating the master cylinder and linkages would simplify design and manufacturing cost. So far nobody has been able to convince regulators or their legal team they can sell a car without one, though.

    Pure electrical throttles have been the standard for a while now.

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