China, through its Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), has announced the ban on electric-only retractable door handles after several fatal incidents and safety hazards. They specified that all new passenger vehicles sold in China weighing under 3.5 tonnes must have mechanical door handles on the outside and inside from January 1, 2027.
Reasons for the ban on electric-only retractable door handles
Several fatal accidents involving cars with Tesla-style retractable handles in China influenced MIIT’s decision to ban this design of pop-out door handles. For instance, witnesses reported that rescuers could not open the doors of Xiaomi SU7 Ultra from the outside after a power cut in Chengdu (October 2024) and Tongling accidents.
The retractable handles of the AITO M7 failed to deploy due to a total power outage in Shanxi in April 2024. As a result, a family was unable to escape the ensuing fire. A severe cold snap in Changchun froze electric handle motors of several car models, trapping people inside or locking owners out.
Moreover, many passengers had to smash windows to escape as the doors became electronically bricked due to short circuits during the Guangdong floods (2024).
Following these incidents, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) says electric door handles can fail in situations like crashes, cold weather, flooding, malfunction or other accidents. If the car loses power, people inside may not be able to open the doors, and it can be life-threatening.
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Which cars will be affected by this ban in China?
The upcoming Chinese regulation specifically targets “fully hidden” designs that lack a primary mechanical override or fail to provide a standardised hand-operation space.
We see these electric-only retractable door handles in every Tesla model, Xiaomi SU7 range, BYD models like Seal, Han, and Yangwang U9, AITO M7 and M9, some Geely models, and more. EVs tend to prefer these flush door handle designs for optimal aerodynamic efficiency, but the choice to make them electric-only needs to be corrected.
Existing affected car models get 25 months to meet the new door-handle standards. New models get 13 months for implementing the handle position rules after the rules start, while all other requirements must be met immediately.
What door handles remain legal?
Door handle designs that allow for manual operation even during a total power failure will not be affected by the ban. Semi-retractable handles that can be physically pulled or tilted even when “flush” may only need minor adjustments to ensure they meet the new hand-space requirement.
Manual pop-outs, which can be pushed on one end to pop out without needing battery power, are compliant with the new standard’s redundancy requirement.
New door handle requirements in China
From January 1, 2027, all new vehicles sold in China that weigh less than 3.5 tonnes must have mechanical door handles on the outside and inside. Fully electric, power-only retractable handles will no longer be allowed. Here are the requirements reportedly specified:
- Mechanical redundancy: All doors (except the rear door) must have external and internal handles with mechanical release functionality that works without tools or electricity.
- Hand-space rule: Exterior handles must provide a minimum hand-operation space of 60mm x 20mm x 25mm regardless of their position (flush or retracted).
- Visibility: Interior mechanical backup handles must be clearly visible, easily identifiable (even at night), and accompanied by intuitive instructions.
- Force standards: Handles must withstand significant physical force without breaking: at least 500 Newtons (N) for exterior handles and 200N for interior handles.
- Placement: Internal handles must be positioned within 300mm of the door edge and within specific zones easily accessible to passengers in their seats.
- Emergency: In accidents involving battery thermal runaway or severe collisions, all doors on the non-impact side must be openable from the outside without tools.
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What does this ban mean for Australia?
Every Tesla Model 3 and Model Y in Australia uses retractable electric door handles. Other brands sold in Australia, such as BYD, Mercedes-Benz, and Zeekr, also use similar designs.
ANCAP has said that post-crash door handle operation will receive more attention under its 2026 safety protocols, which are still being finalised. Moreover, under current ANCAP documentation, vehicles must ensure passengers can exit within two minutes even if the 12V handle power system fails, using a clearly accessible secondary manual release.
China is a massive export market for the vehicles sold in Australia (like Tesla and BYD). Manufacturers may standardize mechanical-backup handles for the Australian market to maintain production efficiency with their Chinese-bound models.
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