We told you last week that China was moving to tighten safety standards on one of the auto industry’s trendiest design features: flush, hidden door handles. Now the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has released a draft regulation this week that would require all car doors to include mechanical release mechanisms accessible both inside and outside the vehicle.
The proposal, officially titled Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handle Safety, comes amid rising concerns that purely electronic handles can fail in critical moments, trapping occupants after crashes or battery fires. The draft rules are open for public comment until November 22, 2025.
Balancing Innovation and Safety
Flush handles, popularized by Tesla’s Model S back in 2012, have become synonymous with sleek, futuristic vehicle design. Many EV brands in China—including Xiaomi, Aito, and BYD—now use them to create cleaner aerodynamics and a more modern aesthetic. But in recent years, multiple accidents have exposed a serious flaw: when power systems fail, electronically controlled handles may not deploy, leaving drivers and passengers unable to escape quickly.
Regulators had already hinted at curbing risky handle designs, and now these draft rules signal that a pivot from pure design freedom toward enforceable safety baselines is on the horizon.
What the Draft Requires
The proposed standards detail several requirements aimed at eliminating entrapment risks: (via CarNewsChina)
- External handles: Every door, excluding trunk lids, must feature an external handle with a mechanical release that works even during a power outage. Handles must provide at least 60 mm × 20 mm × 25 mm of hand space to ensure they can be operated under all conditions.
- Internal handles: Each door must also include a mechanical release inside, placed in a visible and accessible position within 300 mm of the door edge. Even if an electronic latch exists, a manual backup is mandatory.
- Emergency conditions: In events such as battery thermal runaway, doors on the non-collision side of the vehicle must be openable without tools. Clear labels and operating instructions will need to be displayed next to the interior handles.
Rong Hui, Deputy Director of the China Automotive Standardization Research Institute, explained that the rules are based on research covering more than 230 vehicles and accident testing on 20 models. The process also included consultation with over 100 global automakers and parts suppliers.
The Implications
Because China is the world’s largest EV market, its safety rules often set benchmarks for global manufacturers. If finalized, these regulations could force automakers to redesign their door systems not just for China but for all markets where the same models are sold.
This would also make sense from a cost perspective, as the company would not have to source parts for and build different door handle designs.
Tesla, which is currently facing a probe in the U.S. over its door handles, has already acknowledged the need for change. Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen confirmed this month that Tesla is redesigning its system to make emergency opening more direct and reliable.
