No Tesla recall in Europe at present, Dutch regulator says

AMSTERDAM, Aug 26 (Reuters) - The Dutch vehicle regulator RDW said on Wednesday there is currently no recall of Tesla cars in Europe over concerns that doors may be difficult to open in an emergency.

China last week undertook its largest ever car recall, covering 4.3 million vehicles and 2.98 million Teslas, over worries that emergency door-release mechanisms can be difficult to locate or operate after a crash.

The RDW is the key regulator overseeing the safety of Tesla cars in Europe. The agency said in written answers to Reuters questions that it is monitoring the issue but declined to comment on whether it is considering or investigating a recall - only that there is none at present.

"The RDW believes that vehicles must be capable of being opened under all circumstances — including when electrical systems fail — in an intuitive way, without the use of tools, from both inside and outside," it said.

It noted that door handles that are flush or recessed, a feature of Teslas, were not in themselves a problem.

The agency said that improving the ability to open doors in emergencies is under discussion both in U.N. vehicle-regulation talks in Geneva and at Euro NCAP, the independent European New Car Assessment Programme that awards vehicle safety ratings.

"This is because, in recent years, there have been incidents in which occupants or emergency responders had difficulty opening vehicles following an accident or fire," the agency said.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Jan Harvey, Kirsten Donovan)