I assume some of it is because these electric car companies need an edge - if they just made the car the same way Toyota and Honda does then it would appear to the consumer to just be an electrified Civic or Corolla.

I think they're trying to come off as futuristic, luxury, and exotic, and I guess that requires making things different for the sake of differentiation.

Perhaps it's also a bit of arrogance, thinking that they can make a better door handle than the old, stodgy automakers (and then finding out the hard way that sometimes things are the way they are for a reason).

On the other hand, I've noticed on my last few cars that the door handles sometimes feel like they're going to break if I pull too hard, like when the doors are frozen shut during freezing rain conditions. Maybe the traditional handles aren't that great either (though none have actually broken on me yet).