China’s Ministry of Industry has announced a new safety standard that will ban retractable and hidden door handles without a mechanical release from 2027. The measure responds to tragic electric car accidents where electronics failure trapped passengers in burning vehicles.
China will ban hidden door handles on cars from next year. The doors will have to have a mechanical function to release the handles with the exception of the tailgate. This is according to the latest regulation specification published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Monday. TASR writes about it according to the AP agency.
- China will ban hidden door handles on cars from 2027.
- The ban responds to safety concerns following electric car accidents.
- The standard will also affect well-known models such as Tesla and BMW.
- It is expected that other countries may follow China.
Security issues
According to Chinese authorities, the aim is to address safety concerns following fatal electric car accidents in which electronic doors reportedly malfunctioned and trapped passengers inside.
“China is the first major auto market to explicitly ban electric sliding and hidden door handles,” said Chris Liu, chief analyst at Shanghai-based technology group Omdia. “While other regions have indicated security concerns, China is the first to formalize it into a national security standard,” he added.
The new requirement will enter into force on January 1, 2027. In the case of already approved models, a transitional period for design changes in accordance with the regulations will apply until January 1, 2029.
The new Chinese standard
This will be, for example, Model Y and Model 3 from Tesla, BMW iX3 and other models of many Chinese brands that have retractable door handles.
The new Chinese standard is expected to have a global impact, and other countries may follow China. Automakers will thus face potentially costly redesigns or retrofits, Chris Liu said.
The new requirements will affect premium electric cars more, as retractable door handles “are considered a design and aerodynamic” solution, he added.
