China Banning Hidden/Electronic Door Handles Will Have Global Effects

As the world’s biggest car market, China’s regulations will no doubt affect the global automotive industry at large. In this case, the era of hidden or electric door handles is finally coming to a close. A feature welcomed by literally no one, these door handles, which were a trend kicked off by the Tesla Model S in 2012, shall no longer be featured in any new car in China.

The banning of hidden or electronic door handles has been sparked by two accidents involving Xiaomi’s electric vehicles (EVs), wherein the rescuers and occupants were unable to open the doors since these are electronically activated. These crashes have led to Chinese authorities making thorough reviews of vehicle design, and have thus led to the following rules.

Exterior handles must provide a recessed handhold measuring at least 60 mm and 20 mm, which ensures that even rescuers can pull the doors after a crash. The rules aren’t just limited to the outside of the vehicle, because automakers are now required to clearly label door releases with visible signage that displays how the doors are opened during an emergency.

These rules also disallow the use of electronic systems with backup batteries, or even a backup mechanical cable, as seen in many electronic door handles today. Simply put, the door handles should be the way it was intended to be–easy to use and understand.

China Daily reports that roughly 60 percent of China’s top 100 best-selling new energy vehicles (NEVs), or the country’s collective term for plug-in hybrids and EVs, feature such door handles.

Though it is only one market that’s enforcing these rules, the global automotive industry will likely have to adapt. Brands like Tesla, BMW, Audi, and other automakers have large sales operations in China, and so, for simplicity’s sake, these automakers will implement the new door handles to their entire lineup as opposed to developing separate versions for China and the rest of the world. The effects can already be seen in some automakers. The Philippine-bound Geely EX5 EM-i, for instance, is related to the fully electric version, but the EM-i version already features mechanical door handles.

Tesla has committed to meeting China’s regulations as well, so it will be interesting to see what the future of the Model 3 and Model Y will be.