China has become the first country to ban hidden door handles on electric vehicles, a design popularised by Elon Musk’s Tesla. The move comes amid growing scrutiny of EV safety worldwide, following several fatal incidents in China, including crashes involving Xiaomi EVs where power failures reportedly prevented occupants from opening the doors.
The new regulations, effective January 1, 2027, require all passenger doors, except the boot, to feature a mechanical release accessible both inside and outside the vehicle. Each exterior handle must be set within a recessed space at least 6cm by 2cm by 2.5cm, while interior instructions must be clearly marked with signs no smaller than 1cm by 0.7cm. Cars already approved for the Chinese market will have an additional two years to comply.
Hidden handles are widely used in China’s new energy vehicle sector, including EVs, hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles, appearing on roughly 60% of the top 100 best-selling models, according to China Daily. While the ban applies only to cars sold in China, the country’s major role in the global auto market is expected to influence designs worldwide.
Tesla’s hidden door handles are already under investigation in the United States, and European regulators are considering similar rules. In November, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a probe into Tesla Model Y handles after reports of sudden failures that trapped children in vehicles. In four cases, owners were forced to break windows to exit the cars.
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