China will require car doors to be mechanically openable from the outside and inside, becoming the first country to mandate the change to improve rescue access after crashes. The new rules, effective in 2027, respond to safety concerns about electric, flush-mounted door handles that lie flush with a vehicle’s exterior and pop out electrically when they detect a user. Popularized by Tesla and adopted by many automakers, the design was favored for aesthetics and aerodynamics but can fail after a crash or in a battery outage, leaving occupants trapped.
An investigative report by Bloomberg documented cases in which Tesla’s electrically powered exterior handles would not open, forcing rescuers to break windows to remove people. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into reports of 2021 Tesla Model Y exterior handles failing to open and is also examining a separate complaint about interior door-release mechanisms on Tesla Model 3s that can be hard to find during an emergency. The agency has previously influenced recalls for electronic-handle defects on other makes and is looking into an electronic or battery-related door-handle issue on the Dodge Journey.
Bloomberg identified at least 15 deaths linked to crashes in which Tesla doors would not open, including incidents where occupants could not open doors from inside. Other manufacturers using electronic or retractable handles include Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Fiat, Ford, Genesis, Lexus, Lincoln, Maserati and Volvo; in China, nearly all leading EV makers sell models with retractable handles. A fatal crash in a Xiaomi vehicle last year, in which the driver was trapped by inoperable doors, renewed attention to the risk.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said new rules will require that exterior handles allow mechanical opening even in disasters such as battery fires. Interior door handles, which can lose function in some circumstances, must have mechanical releases that are visible and not obstructed by other components. In some Tesla models, for example, a manual rear-door release is hidden behind a speaker cover and requires pulling a cable to open.
The regulation will affect global automakers that sell cars in China and will require redesigns for vehicles offered there, but it won’t directly change the U.S. market. Most cars sold in China are made in China, while U.S. policies — including tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles and restrictions on certain Chinese technologies — largely separate the two markets.
Pressure to address electronic-handle safety has increased in the U.S. as well. In addition to the NHTSA inquiries, legislation introduced in the House would require fail-safe manual interior releases and a way for rescuers to enter vehicles from the outside.
NPR’s Huo Jingnan contributed to this report.
