The world’s biggest car market, China, has banned electric-only retractable door handles after safety concerns prompted by incidents involving the Xiaomi SU7 sedan and Tesla electric vehicles (EVs).
From January 1, 2027, all new vehicles sold in China weighing less than 3.5 tonnes must include mechanical exterior and interior door handles, the move coming after months of public consultation on the matter.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said the move is to combat safety issues surrounding electric retractable door handles, such as a loss of power, cold conditions and other scenarios.
In such scenarios, a lack of power means occupants may not be able to exit a vehicle in an emergency, trapping them inside.
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First responders may also not be able to reach them after a serious incident without resorting to breaking windows, which poses further safety risks.
A mechanical handle should, in theory, function regardless of conditions and power availability, reducing the need for emergency services to use tools to access occupants.
The regulations also call for enough hand space in the design of the mechanical handles for operation, and specify the positioning of both exterior and internal mechanical door releases.
Every Tesla currently on sale, including the Model Y SUV, Model 3 sedan and Cybertruck (not sold in Australia), uses retractable electric door handles.
In Australia, the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y both have the highest five-star crash rating from safety body ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program).
Having come into fashion on EVs, retractable door handles can also be found on BYD, Mercedes-Benz and Zeekr models – among others – sold here.
ANCAP assesses retractable door handle capability, including post-crash operation, which it has said will be more of a focus with its new 2026 protocols yet to be announced in full.
The Chinese stance comes after more than a dozen fatalities involving Tesla vehicles with retractable door handles which, according to Bloomberg, prompted lawsuits from owners in the United States (US).
A fatality in China in 2025 involving a Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan (not sold in Australia), which has retractable door handles but also has four emergency releases, was also a factor in the detail of the new laws, according to CarNewsChina.
CarNewsChina reported existing models will have 25 months to meet the new standard, but new vehicles will have 13 months after the regulations are implemented to comply with handle positioning laws, but will have to meet all other requirements “immediately”.