Why does China ban hidden door handles on EVs?

China has imposed a ban on hidden door handles on electric vehicles (EVs), citing a growing concern that the sleek design comes at the cost of human lives.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the new regulations this week, mandating that all EVs in China will have mechanical door releases on both inside and outside of passenger doors.

The authorities claimed that the rules are aimed at preventing occupants from being trapped in vehicles after deadly crashes, fires, or power failures.

The hidden door handles were part of Tesla’s sleek design, which became popular afterwards.

These door handles rely on electronic systems to deploy or unlock the doors.

While the previous design aimed at giving cars a futuristic look and reducing air resistance, it introduces a life-threatening point of failure.

In case of collision, the vehicle loses its power, resulting in malfunction of electronic handles, delaying rescue or escape at critical moments.

The move is prompted by several high-profile data accidents occurred. One of those cases occurred last year in Chengdu, when an EV caught fire, trapping the passenger inside. 

Even bystanders were not able to open the doors of the electric sedan.

With these new regulations, vehicles must give a clearly marked, hand-operable mechanical release with sufficient space for occupants or rescuers to grip and open the door.

Manufacturers are also bound to display clear instructions showcasing how doors can be opened manually in an emergency.

The ban will be implemented from January 2027, granting a grace period for models already approved for sale.

For now, the rules are only imposed in China, which is considered the world’s largest EV market; analysts state that the impact will be global.