China Is Leading The Fight Against Hidden Car Door Handles

One of nan creation features that became synonymous pinch Tesla has been banned successful China.

Under caller information rules published Monday by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, cars sold successful nan state must person mechanical releases connected their doorway handles. The caller rules, which spell successful effect January 1, 2027, will prohibit nan hidden, electronically actuated doorway handles popularized by Tesla — and now recovered connected galore different electrical vehicles successful China.

The caller norm dictates that each doorway (excluding nan tailgate) should beryllium equipped pinch a mechanically released outer doorway handle. Vehicles must besides person a mechanical merchandise connected nan interior of nan vehicle. Bloomberg previously reported connected nan caller information policy.

Numerous high-profile fatal incidents, successful which occupants person go trapped successful their vehicles, person raised concerns among information regulators and advocates globally. China is nan first state to rumor a ban.

An investigation by Bloomberg past September uncovered problems pinch nan concealed doorway handles connected Tesla vehicles, citing respective crashes successful which first responders aliases occupants were incapable to unfastened nan doors because nan physics doorway locks weren’t getting capable powerfulness from nan vehicle’s artillery strategy to activity properly. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration past opened a defect investigation into definite Tesla Model Y and Model 3 doorway handles. While Tesla does person manual releases wrong its vehicles, national investigators noted that nan releases tin beryllium difficult for children to access, and galore owners are unaware of their existence. Some U.S. lawmakers person proposed regulation requiring manual doorway releases successful each caller vehicles.

Fatal incidents successful China, including a clang involving a Xiaomi SU7 electrical sedan, prompted regulators location to propose changes to EV doorway handles past year.

The Chinese authorities began nan process successful May 2025 pinch much than 40 home conveyance manufacturers, parts suppliers, and testing institutions participating successful nan first research. More than 100 manufacture experts held aggregate rounds of discussions to find nan modular model and shape a draught modular of what would go nan Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles rule, according to nan Chinese government’s standards agency.

That included dozens of automakers, including Chinese companies specified arsenic BYD, Geely Holdings, SAIC, and Xiaomi arsenic good arsenic overseas automakers including General Motors, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Tesla, however, was not listed arsenic an charismatic “drafter,” according to accusation posted connected nan standards agency’s website.