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- China to ban hidden door handles on cars starting 2027 (nbcnews.com)
China to Ban Hidden Car Door Handles Over Safety Concerns, Potentially Impacting Global EV Market
HONG KONG – Starting next year, China will prohibit the use of hidden door handles on vehicles, a design choice popularized by electric vehicles (EVs) like those from Tesla and many other manufacturers. The move, announced by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, aims to enhance safety after reports of passengers being trapped in vehicles with inoperable electronic doors during accidents.
Under the new regulations, all car doors, with the exception of tailgates, must incorporate a mechanical release function for their handles. This requirement will become effective on January 1, 2027. For car models that have already received approval, automakers will have an extended grace period until January 1, 2029, to implement the necessary design modifications.
The new rules could impact a wide range of vehicles, including Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3, BMW’s iX3, and numerous models from Chinese brands that currently feature retractable door handles.
Chris Liu, a senior analyst at Omdia, a technology research and advisory group based in Shanghai, suggests that China’s decision could have significant global repercussions, potentially prompting other countries to adopt similar regulations. This could lead to substantial redesign or retrofit costs for automakers worldwide.
“China is the first major automotive market to explicitly ban electrical pop-out and press-to-release hidden door handles,” Liu stated. He noted that while other regions have acknowledged safety concerns, China is the first to formalize these concerns into a national safety standard. Liu anticipates that regulators in Europe and other parts of the world may reference or align with China’s approach, particularly affecting premium EVs where retractable door handles are often viewed as a design and aerodynamic feature.
The proposed regulations were initially put forth by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for public comment in September of last year. This development follows a similar investigation opened by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last year into reports of Tesla’s electronic door handles failing to operate.
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- China to ban hidden door handles on cars starting 2027 (nbcnews.com)