China to ban hidden car door handles on EVs to address 'safety risks'

China will be banning "hidden" car door handles from 2027, in a world-first safety move announced on Feb. 2.

The minimalist handle design was first popularised by Tesla, but has since come under scrutiny in both the United States and China over potential safety risks.

According to Reuters, the retractable or flush handles are operated via a key fob, mobile phone or by manually pressing on the door.

The new regulations will take effect from Jan. 1, 2027, Bloomberg reported.

Under the new standards, vehicle doors must be fitted with mechanical release mechanisms on both the interior and exterior.

For car models that have already received approval for sale, they will be given a two-year grace period, until January 2029, to achieve compliancy.

Safety risks

The new regulations follow mounting concerns about whether electronically operated doors can be opened during emergencies.

In China, there were two fatal electric vehicle (EV) fires involving Xiaomi Corp cars, Bloomberg reported.

Power failures during the crashes were suspected to have prevented the doors from opening, trapping occupants inside and hindering rescue efforts.

While the rules will apply only to EVs sold in China, analysts say the impact could extend beyond the country, especially with China's influence on the global automotive industry.

In the U.S., Tesla’s doors are already under investigation by safety regulators, and European regulators are also looking to impose rules of their own.

New rules

Under the new regulations, doors must have a recessed area measuring at least 6cm by 2cm to allow a hand to grip a handle.

A signage, measuring no smaller than 1cm by 0.7cm, with instructions on how to open the car must also be placed inside the vehicle.

Citing a person familiar with the design process, Bloomberg added that the new standards could render some existing safety solutions redundant, including mechanical pull-cables and backup door batteries designed to work during power failures.

Chinese manufacturers reportedly moved quickly in anticipation of the regulatory shift.

Models such as Geely Automobile Holdings’ Galaxy M9 and BYD’s Seal 06, as reported in Bloomberg, have already returned to traditional, exposed door handles.

As of now, most foreign automakers have yet to disclose how they plan to adapt their vehicles for the China market.

Tesla has said it will make the necessary changes for China, and that it plans to make manual release mechanisms more intuitive as well.

According to Robyn Denholm, Tesla's chair, the company is also exploring programming doors to unlock automatically if the car's battery voltage is low.

Top photo from Unsplash