Hidden electronic doors or door handles that are seamlessly integrated into the vehicle are one of the common design elements you will see in a modern car. These hidden door handles create a flat and clean surface, making the vehicle’s side profile aesthetically neat, a design commonly seen in Tesla vehicles and several Chinese cars.
While considered a modern take on conventional car door handles, China thinks otherwise, as it has approved a new safety regulation that bans automakers from integrating hidden electronic doors to vehicles. The new regulation requires all passenger cars and light commercial vehicles to have mechanically releasable door handles, according to Car News China.
The new safety regulation states that each car door, except for the tailgate, will need to be equipped with a mechanically releasable door handle, a design that’s similar to the conventional door handles. The new regulation is imposed due to incidents in which vehicle power failures were linked to preventing the doors from opening. As such, occupants were unable to exit the vehicle or could not be rescued since the electronic doors could not be opened.
Interior door handles are also covered by the new safety regulation. Each side door must be equipped with at least one mechanical release handle, and every interior handle should be able to open its corresponding door on its own. The standard also states that interior door handles must be placed within a defined zone and remain clearly visible and easily accessible from the occupant’s position.
China’s new regulation will take effect on January 1, 2027. As such, electronically activated door handles will not be allowed in China, which then means that future Chinese cars will be forgoing the Tesla-like hidden electronic doors. Moreover, the new safety regulation would mean that flush door handles seen on Chinese vehicles won’t be sold in the future here in the Philippines.
Autocar’s Take
China’s move to ban hidden electronic door handles shows that it values safety over style. The idea behind the new safety regulation makes sense, especially when you consider that having a mechanical releasable door handle could offer better functionality should the vehicle encounter a power failure.
Flush and electronically activated door handles may look sleek, but reports gathered by authorities reveal that this modern design has shown how risky they can be should the vehicle malfunction. By requiring mechanical door handles, China is pushing carmakers to rethink designs that may look modern but pose a potential risk when accidents happen.
