ChinaAutoInfo

Automotive intelligence is on the rise, but some aggressive car companies are attempting to hand over all basic vehicle functions to computers. According to a report by Insideevs today, a Ford electric Mustang owner in the United States almost lost their child due to the vehicle becoming inoperable.

As reported, Malcolm Gordon, a resident of Los Angeles, once considered his Ford Mustang Mach-E his pride and joy, and he was very fond of the technological features inside the car, once believing it to be the best car he had ever owned. However, all of this changed last Friday.

At that time, the electric doors of the Mustang suddenly malfunctioned, trapping his 9-month-old child inside the vehicle for nearly an hour. Now, Gordon says he can't wait to part with this electric car.

Last Friday, Gordon received a call from his wife while he was at work. His wife had parked the vehicle at a roadside charging station in the San Fernando Valley, where the temperature had risen to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 26.67 degrees Celsius). She was planning to pick up their older son, while their younger son was strapped into the back seat.

However, when she got out of the car to take the baby out, the car suddenly became inoperable, turning into a 'brick', with the baby locked inside. “From the time I got out of the car to when I walked to the back seat to pick up the baby, the car completely lost functionality. If it had been summer, my child might not be here now.”

Like many modern electric vehicles, the Ford Mustang's design is 'quite innovative': it has eliminated traditional manual door handles in favor of small round buttons on the B-pillar. Pressing the button activates the motor to open the door. Then, the door can be opened by the black horizontal handle located below the window. The doors can be unlocked with a key, the FordPass app, or by entering a password on the digital keypad on the door.

However, Gordon stated that none of the above unlocking methods worked. After arriving at the scene, he called AAA emergency services. “They brought tools, but couldn't open the door latch,” he said. Ford's rescue personnel also arrived at the scene but were equally helpless. With no other choice, Gordon had to break the front right window to finally rescue the baby.

A Ford spokesperson responded, stating that they have been in contact with the customer and are aware of the incident, currently under investigation, but did not disclose further details.

The electric doors of the Ford Mustang are powered by a traditional 12-volt auxiliary battery, which usually provides power for fuel vehicles, supporting low-power functions in the car such as audio, lighting, and electric windows. When the battery is depleted, the vehicle cannot be used. After Ford's rescue arrived, they were unable to charge the battery, and despite the system's fault protection settings, it still could not be started.

Owners can connect a cable from the front bumper to the charging pack to activate the vehicle's key functions, but Gordon stated that the battery's charge was just 'moderate', not enough to start the vehicle, nor completely depleted. In the end, he had to resort to breaking the window to resolve the situation.