China Bans Hidden Door Handles on Electric Vehicles Citing Safety Risks

Beijing. China has banned the installation of hidden door handles on electric vehicles (EVs) that are not visible from the outside, citing safety risks. China becomes the first country to ban this design, which was popularized by Tesla.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, all new cars sold in China will now be required to have clearly operable mechanical handles on every passenger door from the outside. The new rule will take effect from January 1, 2027.

Under the new standard, there must be a clearly visible empty space on the exterior of the door measuring at least 6 cm × 2 cm × 2.5 cm, allowing hands to reach in and open the door in an emergency. Additionally, a clear indicator of at least 1 cm × 0.7 cm showing how to open the door from the inside must also be placed.

Currently approved models in the market will be given an additional two years to modify their designs. Such secret handles are used in about 60 percent of popular models in China's 'New Energy Vehicle' market. However, regulators were alarmed after suspicions arose that the doors failed to open due to electrical system failure in two fatal accidents involving Xiaomi EVs recently.

In the United States, Tesla car door handles are also under investigation. It has been reported that in four incidents, passengers had to break the windows to escape. As China is the world's largest auto market, this decision is expected to influence global car design and safety standards as well.