China has announced it will ban hidden door handles on cars. The decision has been made to enhance the safety of passengers during an accident. The development pits China against Tesla and other manufacturers that have increasingly embraced the feature on their cars to offer a premium finish and ergonomics.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China has declared that all the car door handles must keep a traditional mechanical release tech, barring the tailgate.
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Why has China banned hidden door handles on cars?
Chinese officials maintain that the decision to phase out hidden car door handles will improve safety and minimize risks during an accident.
To illustrate, there have been incidents when the hidden door handles failed to operate and open during the accidents as passengers inside tried to flee the cars in flames. The safety that comes with ADAS levels are designed to keep the vehicle from possible mishaps. But after an accident, the hidden lock door could worsen an already troublesome scenario.
The government’s decision will force manufacturers to make design changes and include mechanical door handles on their upcoming models. For cars such as Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3, and others from China itself, they will also have to return to the traditional way. This will take time and cost to redesign the door handles to comply with the new policy.
“China is the first major automotive market to explicitly ban electrical pop-out and press-to-release hidden door handles,” Chris Liu, a Shanghai-based senior analyst at technology research and advisory group Omdia said. “While other regions have flagged safety concerns, China is the first to formalize this into a national safety standard.”
He also expressed a belief that other markets in Europe and beyond may follow suit. He shared that the decision will impact premium cars as electronic door handles are seen as a “design and aerodynamic statement.”
The feature has been popularized by Tesla and is being followed by others. It’s seen as a signifier of a premium feel and better aerodynamics. But the debate over its risk factors is not limited to just China. In 2025, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also started an investigation into incidents where Tesla’s electronic door handles couldn’t work.
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Ban timeline
The new rules on door handles will start on January 01, 2017. For models that already received approval for China market with the existing hidden door handles, manufacturers have been given time until January 01, 2029, to switch design for compliance.