China Cracks Down: Hidden EV Door Handles Banned for Safety!

China has announced a new rule that bans hidden door handles on electric vehicles, making it the first country to do so. This decision comes after several safety concerns, especially after two deadly accidents in China involving Xiaomi electric cars. In those cases, it was suspected that power failures made it impossible to open the doors, trapping people inside. The new rule will start on January 1, 2027, and it says that all new cars sold in China must have mechanical door handles that are easy to find and use, both inside and outside the car.

According to the new regulations, every passenger door except the trunk must have a recessed space for the handle that is at least 6 centimeters long, 2 centimeters wide, and 2. 5 centimeters deep. Inside the car, there must be a sign at least 1 centimeter by 0. 7 centimeters to show how to open the door. Cars that have already been approved for sale in China but are not yet on the market will have two more years to update their designs. Hidden door handles have become very popular in China, especially on electric and hybrid cars. In fact, about 60 percent of the top 100 best-selling new energy vehicles in China have these hidden handles.

Even though this rule is only for cars sold in China, it could have a big impact on the global car industry. China is one of the largest car markets in the world, so car companies might change their designs everywhere to meet the new rules. In the United States, Tesla's door handles are already being investigated by safety officials because there have been reports of the handles not working and trapping people inside. In some cases, people had to break the car windows to escape. European countries are also thinking about making their own rules for car door handles. This shows that car safety is a big concern for many countries, and they want to make sure that everyone can get out of a car quickly and safely in an emergency.