China will ban hidden, electronically operated car door handles on all vehicles sold domestically from the start of 2027, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Popularised by Tesla, these types of handles drew concern after a series of fatal crashes in which occupants were trapped in their cars, multiple media outlets report.
The move makes China the first country to formally prohibit the design feature, popularised by Tesla but understood to be used in roughly 60 percent of China’s top-selling hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs), including those made by Xiaomi and Aion.
Flush-mounted, pop-out door handles – designed to reduce drag – operate like a lever on a car’s outside and require users to push a button on the inside. Under the regulations released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), all cars must be equipped with clearly visible mechanical door releases that can be operated from both inside and outside the vehicle. Inside latches must also be accompanied by signs explaining how they work.
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MIIT cited “the inconvenience with operating the exterior door handles and their inability to open after an accident” as the reasons behind the new rules, which will force carmakers to redesign many of their vehicles. A two-year grace period has been granted for models that have already been approved and are nearing their launch.
Last October, a fatal crash involving Xiaomi’s SU7 electric sedan in Chengdu reportedly left bystanders unable to open the doors before the vehicle caught fire. In 2024, three people were killed in the US when a fire in one of Tesla’s Cybertrucks prevented its electric doors from opening after a crash. A 2025 Bloomberg investigation found 140 incidents of Tesla’s problematic door handles trapping people in cars.
Although the rules apply only to vehicles sold in China, the country’s outsized role in the global auto industry means the decision is likely to shape car design well beyond its borders. Chinese manufacturers are expanding rapidly overseas with domestic EV company BYD overtaking Tesla in annual global EV sales for the first time last year.
