BEIJING: China banned concealed door handles on electric vehicles, the first country in the world to outlaw a design popularised by Tesla Inc that is now facing global regulatory scrutiny due to a spate of deadly incidents.
Cars sold in China will be required to have mechanical release both on the inside and outside, according to new safety rules issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Monday.
The ruling will take effect on Jan 1, 2027, the ministry said.
Models that have already been approved by the regulator and are in the final stages of launching in China have until January 2029 to change their designs.
The crackdown follows several high-profile incidents, including two fiery Xiaomi Corp.
EV crashes in China where power failures were suspected to have prevented doors from opening, leaving people - unable to escape or be rescued - to die.
While the new regulations will only impact EVs sold in China, the country's influence on the global automotive industry means it could resonate elsewhere.
Tesla's doors are already the target of a safety probe in the US, while European regulators are looking to impose rules of their own.
"China is shifting from being just the largest EV market to being a rule-setter for how new vehicle technologies are regulated," said Bill Russo, founder of Shanghai-based consultancy Automobility.
"By moving first, Beijing can use its huge domestic market to lock in safety standards that both Chinese and foreign automakers must follow at home - and that may ultimately travel with Chinese EV exports and influence global norms."
The impact of the change is likely to be uneven and it's not clear how expensive it will be to implement.
One person familiar with the design process at a Chinese EV manufacturer said it could cost more than 100 million yuan (RM56.8mil) per model.
About 60% of the top 100 selling new-energy vehicles in April featured concealed handles, the China Daily has reported.
Redesign efforts will be heavily tilted toward automakers' higher-margin luxury models, which typically have the sleek, futuristic construction that will soon be banned.
That includes Tesla's Model Y and Model 3, and BMW's iX3, which is set to see a China version debut in 2026.
Nio Inc.'s ES8, Li Auto Inc.'s i8 and Xpeng Inc.'s P7 also feature the handles.
Xiaomi's popular YU7 sport utility vehicle, launched in June 2025, will also need an overhaul.
The carmaker propelled door handle safety into the public eye after two of its SU7 electric sedans were involved in fatal crashes last year - one in March and one in October.
