China Becomes First Country to Ban Hidden EV Door Handles, Citing Safety Concerns

On February 4th, the BBC reported that China has officially banned 'hidden door handles' in electric vehicles following serious safety concerns, especially fatal accidents where passengers could not open car doors. The measure comes amid global safety agencies' scrutiny of EVs, including two fatal incidents involving Xiaomi electric vehicles where electrical system failures prevented door opening. Under new regulations, all vehicles sold in China must have mechanical door opening systems both inside and outside, and cannot rely solely on electrical systems. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) mandates that passenger doors must have external handle recesses at least 6 x 2 x 2.5 centimeters in size. Emergency door opening instructions must also be clearly visible. The new rules will take effect from January 1, 2027, with a two-year grace period for already approved vehicles. Currently, over 60% of China's top-selling new energy vehicles use hidden door handle designs. Experts suggest this could impact global automotive standards, with particular attention on Tesla, which pioneered the hidden handle design.