China is becoming the first country to ban hidden door handles on electric vehicles in the name of safety.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology made the decision, which will take effect in 2027, according to a report by Bloomberg. It cited safety concerns for passengers after several incidents and crashes.
The concealed door handle design was popularized by Tesla and is now common on EV models across the auto industry. The new law requires car doors to have a mechanical release on the inside and outside so passengers can escape in the event of a power failure.
There have been multiple fiery EV crashes in China in which people died because they could not open the electric doors from the inside. The law will only apply to vehicles sold in China, but it may set a new precedent for EVs around the world.
"China is shifting from being just the largest EV market to being a rule-setter for how new vehicle technologies are regulated," said Bill Russo, founder of consultancy firm Automobility, per Bloomberg.
"By moving first, Beijing can use its huge domestic market to lock in safety standards that both Chinese and foreign automakers must follow at home — and that may ultimately travel with Chinese EV exports and influence global norms."
EVs do have backup safety features, like pull cables and door batteries, intended to allow doors to be opened in a power failure. However, there have been enough fatal crashes that involved door mechanics that China officially began investigating the standards in 2024.
The redesigns for the automakers will likely be costly but will shape the future of the industry. Regulators in the U.S. and Europe have also been investigating safety standards for EV door handles, and new laws in these regions may soon follow.
"China's far ahead in the commercialization of some of these advanced technologies. It's far ahead in electrification and, I would argue, will be further ahead in self-driving technology," Russo said, per Bloomberg. "China's going to play an outsized role in stepping ahead of the rest of the world in setting the regulatory standards."
EVs are still growing in popularity around the world as a climate-conscious choice, but the market has hit some snags. Tesla's sales, in particular, struggled in 2025 due to public backlash over CEO Elon Musk's personal life and political ties.
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