China to Ban Hidden Electronic Door Handles by 2027
China has established the first worldwide prohibition on concealed electronic door handles which it will implement as a total ban. The new safety regulations will officially take effect on January 1, 2027, and will apply to all vehicles sold within the Chinese market.
The approved regulations state that every vehicle door must be equipped with mechanical external and internal drives. The driving system must function without any connections to the vehicle s electronic components. The goal is to ensure that doors can be opened manually at all times, even in the event of a total power loss.
This policy change follows several accidents where passengers remained trapped inside vehicles because electronic locks failed during power outages or malfunctions. Regulators have specifically scrutinized designs used by manufacturers like Tesla, where recessed or hidden handles are the primary entry method.
Investigations revealed critical flaws in current designs which included the following design problems
- Electronic handles fail to operate when the battery experiences a shutdown.
- The design of emergency levers makes it hard for users to identify its location.
- Crisis procedures require passengers to perform hard to do actions during emergencies which should be basic tasks.
The development of these standards involved over a year of consultation with industry experts and dozens of automakers. China represents one of the biggest automotive markets worldwide making this decision necessary for all vehicle manufacturers to change their EV design and ergonomic strategies. Companies may need to move towards conventional handle designs to achieve regulatory compliance which will probably impact safety rules across different regions.
