by China to Ban Electric Door Handles from 2027
Starting in 2027, China will officially ban the use of modern electric retractable door handles, which have become popular on many cars. This decision is linked to a series of fatal accidents where passengers and rescuers were unable to open the doors after a collision due to power failure.
The new rules will require all vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons to be equipped with both external and internal door handles with a mechanical opening function. This guarantees that doors can be opened even after a serious accident when the vehicle’s electrical network is damaged.
Reason for the Ban and Safety Risks
The first signs of upcoming changes appeared in mid-December when China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology included a corresponding proposal in a new draft regulation. The direct impetus for this decision was tragic cases. For example, in October, people died in an accident in Chengdu because witnesses could not open the car doors. A similar incident occurred in Tongling. According to Sixth Tone, both accidents involved Xiaomi SU7 Ultra electric vehicles.
The interior door buttons do not unlock electrically after power loss. The mechanical door handle of the SU7 inside is not visible to people in the cabin. Even if rescuers break the window glass, they will not be able to reach it.
Problems of Modern Design
Electric retractable handles, similar to those installed on the Tesla Model S, BYD Seal, or Tesla Model 3 and Y, have become a symbol of modern electric car design. Their popularity was explained by improved aerodynamics, which allowed for a slight increase in range. However, besides post-accident problems, such handles often do not work in freezing weather.
Discussions about banning these handles have been ongoing since September. Experts note that the real aerodynamic gain from such designs is minimal. The reduction in the drag coefficient is only from 0.005 to 0.01, which saves approximately 0.6 kWh of energy per 100 kilometers of travel.
Global Consequences of China’s Decision
The ban in China will have global consequences, as the country has become the world’s largest car exporter. If local manufacturers are forced to abandon such handles for the domestic market, they are likely to extend these changes to export models as well. Western automakers selling cars in China may also redesign their global designs to comply with the new standards and optimize production costs.
This step could mark a return to more pragmatic and safe solutions in automotive design, where the priority will be not only aesthetics and efficiency but also the guaranteed ability to leave the vehicle in an extreme situation. Similar discussions are already being held by European Union regulators, indicating the global nature of the problem. Changes in such a large automotive industry as China’s will inevitably influence trends worldwide, forcing engineers to seek a compromise between innovation and basic safety requirements.
