China Bans Retractable Car Door Handles?!

Chinese regulators are preparing to crack down on retractable car door handles. The proposed regulation, signed by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, would ban retractable/extendable handles while still allowing semi-retractable handles.

A key requirement is that all vehicles must have a mechanical backup system to allow the doors to be opened in an emergency.

Car News China writes that the final rules could be known by the end of September. Implementation would start in 2027, allowing manufacturers sufficient time to transition. It is evident that many car manufacturers are already aware of this potential change, so they may be working on a solution. Retractable handles have been a trademark of modern electric vehicles. But the benefit is small.

Engineers say that the reduction in air resistance due to the built-in handles is only 0.005-0.01 Cd, which saves about 0.6 kWh per 100 km. That’s not spectacular. At the same time, adding the motors and mechanisms that enable these doors to operate can add 7-8 kg of weight. With them comes a safety problem, which is the freezing of the mechanism in winter. Also, in the event of a collision, especially a side collision, the handles can become blocked.

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