China Tells Carmakers: no More Hidden Door Handles

With input from CNN, Bloomberg, BBC, the Guardian, the Financial Times, and ABC News.

China has ordered a ban on hidden – or flush – door handles for cars sold in the country, the first major market to outlaw the slick, pop-out design made famous by Tesla. From January 1, 2027, every passenger door (except the boot) must offer a mechanical release that can be operated from both outside and inside, officials said.

The move isn’t aimed at a single company, but it lands squarely on a style that Tesla popularised and that now turns up across many Chinese EVs from the likes of Xiaomi and Aion. Regulators say the change is about safety: electronic handles can be hard to operate after a crash or power failure, and rescuers have in some cases been unable to get people out.

So what changes? The industry ministry has laid out practical rules: doors must include a mechanical release both inside and out, exterior handles should allow a hand to reach and operate the release from different angles, and interior handles need to be clearly visible from the occupant’s seat. The government says the rules are meant to tackle “the inconvenience with operating the exterior door handles and their inability to open after an accident.”

This isn’t academic – there have been high-profile, sometimes tragic cases blamed, at least in part, on electronic handles that wouldn’t open during emergencies. Reports in China and abroad have described people trapped after crashes or when systems failed, and US and European regulators have been probing similar complaints. The new Chinese standard follows that global scrutiny.

Carmakers will get a grace period for models already approved and nearing launch, but anything new will need redesigned handle systems. Analysts say the rule could force redesigns across multiple brands and might ripple beyond China – given the country’s size in the EV market, other regulators and automakers may well take note.

Bottom line: flush, futuristic door handles might look tidy and shave a bit of drag, but regulators in the world’s biggest EV market have decided that ease of rescue beats a sleeker silhouette. Expect updates to designs, and probably a few annoyed designers, as the industry adapts.