In recent years, the electric vehicle industry has been booming, and hidden door handles have almost become a standard design for mainstream cars. However, this seemingly fashionable design hides a fatal danger. On February 2, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China officially released a new safety standard, which stipulates that cars sold in the Chinese market must be equipped with mechanical outer door handles and inner door handles, and hidden door handle designs are prohibited in disguise. This world-first specification has attracted international attention. It will not only impact the design strategies of global car manufacturers, but may also set off a new round of changes in automotive safety standards.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology plans to ban hidden door handles on electric vehicles
The original design purpose of the hidden door handle was to reduce the wind resistance coefficient of the car body and improve the cruising range of electric vehicles. When the owner approaches the vehicle, the handle automatically pops up; when the owner leaves, it retracts and hides, creating a simple and streamlined appearance. This design is widely used in electric vehicle brands such as Tesla, NIO, and Xiaomi, and has become an important symbol for consumers to identify “sense of technology” and “high-end positioning.”
However, this design exposed serious safety flaws in emergency situations. Since hidden door handles rely on electric drive and electronic signal control, once the vehicle encounters a collision and the power system is interrupted, or the electronic structure of the body is damaged, the handle may completely lose its function. At this time, whether the people inside the car want to escape on their own or the rescuers outside the car try to open the door to save people, they will face the desperate situation of “there is a door that cannot be opened.”
Fatal accident prompts regulatory action
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China has launched new safety standards at this time, which is directly related to the series of electric vehicle fire accidents in recent years. In 2025 alone, at least two major accidents will occur in China that trigger widespread social discussion.
In March 2025, while driving on the highway in Tongling, Anhui, a Xiaomi SU7 lost control and hit a cement pile in the separation zone before catching fire. Three female college students in the car died on the spot. After the accident, a large number of doubts were circulated on Chinese social media, pointing out that the car door was suspected to be electronically locked and could not be opened at the time of the accident. Family members and netizens strongly questioned: Why did an electric car that advertised smart technology become a cage trapping passengers at the most critical moment?
Xiaomi SU7で3人が亡くなった交通事故が何故起きたかの車載記録動画が公開された模様（本物という保証は無いので自己判断で）
最後幅が急激に狭まる直前に、自動走行が限界検知して切れて手動にされても反応できないよね。SU7の派手な過去の複数の事故例からFRとしての挙動に疑問を持ってるし
↓ pic.twitter.com/dsP7Sh1DsV— 主夫まぬか₿@四川省の山奥帰省中 (@syufumanuka) April 4, 2025
Not long ago, on October 13, 2025, a similar tragedy occurred again in Chengdu, Sichuan. A Xiaomi SU7 Ultra caught fire after losing control and crashing. Rescuers who rushed to the scene tried to rescue the car, but found that the door could not be opened at all. An eyewitness told the media that someone used a wrench to break the driver’s window, but the door remained motionless. “The fire burned quickly. If the door could have been opened at that time, the driver might have been able to be rescued.” In the end, the driver died unfortunately.
参考までに、これがシャオミSU7のリアル
衝突後、内側から開けられない、運転手を救出しようと外側から開けようとしても無駄だった pic.twitter.com/yzvidX4vH1
— ロイエンタール新領土総督 (@6QhdTQGwiXXAlxb) January 6, 2026
Recently, there was also a case in China where a car was suspected to have skidded and crashed due to excessive speed, also because the hidden door handle could not be opened. However, the car owner and passers-by helped to break the window, and the occupants of the car were rescued (but it is rumored that the co-pilot was killed).
2026年2月4日中午12时一辆东风奕派007在公路上失控滑向路边，没有发生严重碰撞就发生车辆起火车门打不开的安全事故，30秒内就燃起熊熊大火，多亏一白衣卡车司机在现场停车营救，救下后座三人，副驾上的人已遇难。国产电车出了这么多安全事故为什么没有引起重视？为什么还有这么多人买？ pic.twitter.com/x47Qc3wYPE
— 默默 (@momoGZ0412) February 5, 2026
These successive tragedies have attracted great attention from the Chinese people and regulatory authorities, and “whether car doors can be opened in an emergency” has become the focus of public opinion. Under huge social pressure, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology finally took action to rectify the situation.
New regulations and implementation timetable
According to the revised “Vehicle Door Safety Technical Specifications” issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, every door (excluding rear doors) of cars sold in the Chinese market in the future must be equipped with mechanical outer door handles and mechanical inner door handles. The new regulations explicitly prohibit two types of hidden door handle designs: one is a design that “pops out when one end is pressed”, and the other is a design that “automatically extends by electric power.” If the car manufacturer adopts a semi-hidden design, there must still be enough space for fingers to grasp on the outside to ensure that the door can still be opened with bare hands after an accident.
The implementation timetable of the new regulations has also been clearly announced and will officially take effect on January 1, 2027. For existing models that have received type approval and are sold in the Chinese market, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has given a two-year grace period, and design modifications must be completed before January 2029 to comply with the new regulations. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology emphasized in an official statement that this move is aimed at “improving the level of automobile safety design” and eliminating potential safety concerns caused by hidden door handles. This policy also makes China the first country in the world to ban hidden car door handles.
Industrial impact and global effects
As the world’s largest automobile and electric vehicle market, China’s regulatory policies have always had a demonstration effect. The introduction of this new safety standard is expected to have a profound impact on the global automotive industry. First of all, all car manufacturers with sales layout in the Chinese market must re-examine product design. Whether it is electric vehicle giants such as Tesla, BYD, NIO, or traditional luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, as long as their models are equipped with hidden door handles, they must complete the rectification before the deadline. This not only involves the cost of design changes, but may also affect whether subsequent models can continue to be sold in China.
Secondly, analysts pointed out that China’s move may become a model for other countries to follow. The European Union has actively promoted the upgrading of vehicle safety standards in recent years, and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) continues to pay attention to the safety risks of emerging technologies. China’s preemptive legislation to ban hidden door handles is likely to accelerate the possibility of other major markets following suit to discuss relevant regulations. (Editor’s note: I personally agree with this, there is no need to sacrifice safety design for a little wind resistance)
Conclusion: The issue of balance between safety and innovation
The controversy over hidden door handles is between pursuing technological design and ensuring occupant safety. How can regulators and manufacturers strike the right balance? The introduction of new technologies can certainly bring differentiated competitive advantages and consumer favor, but any design must pass the most basic safety inspection: when an accident occurs, can the occupants of the vehicle escape safely? The new regulations of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reaffirm this principle. As the date when new regulations take effect in 2027 is approaching, global automakers are facing pressure to change. This change in safety regulations initiated by China may redefine the design direction of electric vehicles and make “safety” once again become the core value of automobile design, rather than just a marketing rhetoric.
Source: KOCPC Chinese