China mandates mechanical door handles for all new vehicles

On Monday, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology—the Chinese government agency responsible for industrial and information technology regulation—published new safety rules. Under these regulations, cars sold in China must have mechanical releases on their door handles. The mandate, which was previously reported on by Bloomberg, requires both external and internal door handles to feature these physical overrides. The new rules are scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2027, establishing a clear timeline for automakers to transition away from designs that rely solely on electronic systems for vehicle entry and exit.

The regulatory action follows a series of safety incidents that have drawn scrutiny globally. Concerns have risen after high-profile cases where occupants have become trapped in their vehicles. Last September, a Bloomberg investigation uncovered problems with the concealed door handles on Tesla vehicles. In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—the US federal agency responsible for vehicle safety—subsequently opened a defect investigation into Tesla door handles. This federal inquiry focused on crashes in which first responders or occupants were unable to open the doors, raising questions about the safety of electronically actuated systems during emergencies. In China, regulators proposed changes after safety incidents, including a crash involving a Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan.

The process of establishing these new standards began in May 2025. The initial research phase involved more than 40 domestic vehicle manufacturers. To finalize the framework, more than 100 industry experts participated in multiple rounds of discussions to determine the standard. A wide range of domestic and international automakers participated in the standard-setting process. This included Chinese companies such as BYD, Geely Holdings, SAIC, and Xiaomi, as well as foreign automakers including General Motors, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen. However, according to the standards agency website, Tesla was not listed as an official drafter of the new safety standards. This collaborative effort highlights the scale of the regulatory shift, which will require all of these participating manufacturers to comply with the new mechanical release requirements by the 2027 deadline.

Why it matters

This regulation marks a significant shift in automotive design standards, forcing manufacturers to prioritize physical safety mechanisms over the aesthetic of hidden, electronically actuated door handles that have become common in modern EVs.