Electric Door Handles On New Cars Will Be Banned In China By 2027

Chinese authorities are requiring car manufacturers to have mechanical door handles on all new passenger vehicles instead of electric ones. The law will come into effect in 2027 and will apply to vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons.

According to a regulation by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, doors must be mechanically operated from the outside and inside, even in the event of a complete power failure or after a serious accident. This provision is intended to simplify the evacuation of passengers and access for rescuers to the vehicle cabin.

The decision comes after a series of fatal accidents in which electrical system failures locked doors. Incidents involving the Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicle in Chengdu and Tonglin were cited, where witnesses were unable to open the doors after the impact, and the emergency mechanism was hidden and difficult to access.

The new rules apply to retractable and push-button electric door handles, used by Tesla, BYD, and Xiaomi. Previously, such solutions were promoted to improve aerodynamics and slightly increase range (about 0.6 kWh per 100 km).

Given China’s status as the world’s largest car exporter, the new law is expected to have an impact on the global auto industry. Chinese brands are likely to unify designs for both domestic and international markets, and Western automakers could revise their platforms to comply with Chinese standards.

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