Watch: Man fails to break into Tesla, can’t work out door handles

The incident was caught by dash cam and posted to social media.

A man couldn’t get into a Tesla because he couldn’t work out how to use the door handles in what appears to be a failed carjacking attempt.

Footage of the incident, which happened in New Zealand, was posted to social media, showing the terrifying moment a man emerged from a vehicle, wearing a balaclava, and attempted to get into the Tesla stopped in front of him.

As both cars sat in a traffic queue, the man jumps out of the driver’s side of a Nissan SUV and rushes to the Tesla.

Dash camera footage shows the man attempting to open the driver’s side door of the Tesla but failing miserably in his attempt.

Wearing high vis reflective pants and a balaclava, the man struggles with the car’s retractable handles, allowing the Tesla driver to speed off.

The video has made it onto Reddit and Facebook where people were impressed by the Tesla’s retractable handles and decidedly unimpressed with the man’s actions.

The incident was caught by dash cam and posted to social media.

Motoring journalist Gavin Shoebridge shared the clip to his Facebook page Kiwi EV Adventures.

“This hamburglar tried and failed to carjack a Tesla in New Zealand last night. His sausage fingers couldn’t grasp the retracted door handles. It’s not the first time those clever handles have prevented crime. Good job, Tesla,” Shoebridge said in the caption.

In the comments, social media users wondered whether, rather than a carjacking attempt, this was a road rage incident.

“Looked more like road rage. He jumped out of the driver’s seat and his vehicle wasn’t stolen. He was planning to dish out some punishment,” one person wrote.

Others, however, pointed out that the use of the balaclava hinted at other intentions.

Many viewers also pointed out that the car could have been locked from the inside, something many other car brands do automatically.