China is leading the fight against hidden car door handles

A design feature that has become synonymous with Tesla has been banned in China.

Under new safety rules Published on Monday By the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, cars sold in the country must have mechanical releases on their door handles. The new rules, which will take effect on January 1, 2027, will ban the electronically operated hidden door handles popularized by Tesla — and now found on many other electric cars in China.

The new rule states that every door (except the tailgate) must be equipped with a mechanically released exterior door handle. Vehicles must also have a mechanical release on the interior of the vehicle. Bloomberg I mentioned previously Regarding the new safety policy.

Several high-profile fatal accidents in which passengers became trapped in their cars have raised concerns among safety regulators and safety advocates globally. China is the first country to issue the ban.

that Investigation conducted by Bloomberg Last September, Tesla revealed problems with hidden door handles in Tesla vehicles, citing several incidents in which first responders or passengers were unable to open the doors because the electronic door locks did not get enough power from the car’s battery system to work properly. Then the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States opened a Defect investigation On some Tesla Model Y and Model 3 Door handles. While Tesla has manual releases inside its cars, federal investigators have noted that the releases may be difficult for children to access, and many owners are unaware of their existence. Some American lawmakers have done so Proposed organization Manual door openings are required on all new vehicles.

Fatal accidents in China, including the crash of a Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan, prompted regulators there to propose changes to electric car door handles last year.

The Chinese government began the process in May 2025 with more than 40 domestic automakers, parts suppliers and testing institutions participating in the initial research. More than 100 industry experts held multiple rounds of discussions to define the standard framework and form a draft standard for what it would become Technical safety requirements for automobile door handles The norm, according to the Chinese government’s standards agency.

This included dozens of automakers, including Chinese companies such as BYD, Geely Holdings, SAIC and Xiaomi, as well as foreign automakers including General Motors, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen. However, Tesla is not listed as an official “manufacturer,” according to information posted on the standards agency’s website.