As another commenter pointed out it does have a noticeable impact on mpg, however you can still do flush mounted handles that are fully manual. Basically every other car manufacturer does manual locks except for Tesla and a couple small (less than 10,000 units annually) companies. The thing is electric locks are cheaper, and when you don’t care about safety, you go for the cheapest option.
The real issue is that they can’t be opened from the inside. Unless you locate the mechanical latch, which involves peeling off the rubber lining of the cupholder.
As another commenter pointed out it does have a noticeable impact on mpg, however you can still do flush mounted handles that are fully manual. Basically every other car manufacturer does manual locks except for Tesla and a couple small (less than 10,000 units annually) companies. The thing is electric locks are cheaper, and when you don’t care about safety, you go for the cheapest option.
The real issue is that they can’t be opened from the inside. Unless you locate the mechanical latch, which involves peeling off the rubber lining of the cupholder.
Everyone exaggerates. It’s not that hidden. See the pic in this thread.