China has banned fully retractable door handles on electric vehicles, the first country to address what regulators consider a life-safety issue during fires, crashes, or power failures.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology published final standards Monday requiring mechanical releases on all exterior and interior door handles. Full compliance is mandatory by January 1, 2027 for new passenger cars under 3.5 tons gross vehicle weight. New model approvals face immediate enforcement.
The regulation targets Tesla's signature flush design and similar systems used across China's EV sector, the world's largest. Exterior handles must withstand 500N force and maintain a 60mm x 25mm grip space without power or tools. Interior releases need standardized markings and 200N operation force.
What changed their minds
The standards emerged after fatal incidents including a Xiaomi SU7 crash where occupants became trapped. Similar entrapments in burning and submerged Teslas drew global attention - Bloomberg's September 2025 investigation documented cases where dead batteries disabled electronic releases.
The U.S. NHTSA opened defect investigations into Tesla Model Y and Model 3 door handles in December 2025, noting manual backups are hard for children to reach and many owners don't know they exist. Some U.S. lawmakers have proposed similar regulations.
Industry reality check
Great Wall Motor's Wei Jianjun has criticized flush handles publicly, calling aerodynamic benefits negligible against risks of noise, poor sealing, and safety failures. Industry sources tell us R&D teams at multiple Chinese manufacturers pivoted projects after seeing draft standards in September 2025.
Semi-retractable designs remain legal if they meet mechanical force requirements. But the sleek, seamless door panels that became an EV signature are done in China.
The regulation follows a structured process: MIIT began research in May 2025 with over 40 manufacturers and 100 industry experts. Public consultation closed in December 2025.
This is significant because it reverses a design trend the entire EV industry adopted for aerodynamics and aesthetics. When the world's largest EV market makes safety trump styling, others will notice.