Automotive vehicles include various door assemblies for allowing access to the vehicle, such as passenger doors allowing access to the passenger compartment. The vehicle doors typically include a mechanical latch assembly that latches the door in the closed position and is operable by a user to unlatch the door to allow the door to open. For example, a passenger may actuate a pivoting release mechanism by pulling on the mechanism to unlatch the vehicle door. The latch may be locked further with a door lock mechanism that typically is actuated with another input by the user.