China is leading the fight against hidden car door handles | TechCrunch

"Under new safety rules published Monday by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, cars sold in the country must have mechanical releases on their door handles. The new rules, which go in effect January 1, 2027, will prohibit the hidden, electronically actuated door handles popularized by Tesla - and now found on numerous other electric vehicles in China. The new rule dictates that each door (excluding the tailgate) should be equipped with a mechanically released external door handle."

"An investigation by Bloomberg last September uncovered problems with the concealed door handles on Tesla vehicles, citing several crashes in which first responders or occupants were unable to open the doors because the electronic door locks weren't getting enough power from the vehicle's battery system to work properly. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration then opened a defect investigation into certain Tesla Model Y and Model 3 door handles."

"While Tesla does have manual releases inside its vehicles, federal investigators noted that the releases can be hard for children to access, and many owners are unaware of their existence. Some U.S. lawmakers have proposed regulation requiring manual door releases in all new vehicles. Fatal incidents in China, including a crash involving a Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan, prompted regulators there to propose changes to EV door handles last year."

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology requires mechanically released external door handles on all car doors (excluding tailgates) and mechanical interior releases, effective January 1, 2027. The rule prohibits hidden, electronically actuated door handles popularized by Tesla and now used by many electric vehicles. The change follows multiple fatal incidents in which occupants became trapped and investigations showing concealed electronic handles can fail when vehicle electrical power is insufficient. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a defect investigation into certain Tesla Model Y and Model 3 door handles. Regulators engaged more than 40 domestic manufacturers, suppliers, and testing institutions beginning May 2025.

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