China banned concealed door handles on EVs over safety concerns, the first ruling of its kind in the world.
The crackdown targets a design that was popularized by Tesla and has faced scrutiny after a series of high-profile incidents in which people were unable to open car doors following crashes.
It’s the latest setback for Tesla in China; Elon Musk’s EV giant saw its first year of declining sales there in 2025 as competition intensified, and he recently signaled a pivot to robots over cars.
The ban also casts China as a global “rule-setter” for new vehicle tech, a Shanghai-based consultant said: By moving first, Beijing could “influence global norms” if its safety standards travel with its EV exports.
