A signature design feature popularized by Tesla has now been banned in China. Under new safety rules published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, all cars sold in the country must be equipped with mechanical releases on their door handles. These rules, which take effect on January 1, 2027, will prohibit the hidden, electronically actuated door handles found on Tesla vehicles and many other electric cars in the Chinese market.
The regulation mandates that each door, excluding the tailgate, must have an externally accessible mechanical door handle. Vehicles are also required to have a mechanical release mechanism on the inside. This move makes China the first country in the world to issue such a ban, a response to growing global safety concerns.
Those concerns stem from numerous high-profile fatal incidents where occupants became trapped inside their vehicles after accidents. An investigation last September uncovered specific problems with Tesla’s concealed door handles, citing crashes where first responders or occupants could not open doors because the electronic locks failed due to insufficient power from a damaged battery system.
Following that report, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a defect investigation into certain Tesla Model Y and Model 3 door handles. While Tesla vehicles do have internal manual releases, federal investigators noted these can be difficult for children to access and that many owners are unaware they exist. Some U.S. lawmakers have since proposed legislation requiring manual door releases in all new vehicles.
In China, fatal incidents, including a crash involving a Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan, prompted regulators to propose changes to electric vehicle door handle standards last year. The Chinese government began the formal process in May 2025 with the participation of more than 40 domestic vehicle manufacturers, parts suppliers, and testing institutions. Over 100 industry experts held multiple rounds of discussions to draft what became the Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles rule.
Dozens of automakers participated in forming the draft standard. This included Chinese companies like BYD, Geely Holdings, SAIC, and Xiaomi, as well as foreign automakers such as General Motors, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Notably, Tesla was not listed as an official drafter on the standards agency’s website.